Australia's carbon waste problem is about to become an economic opportunity.

The newly launched ARC Research Hub for Value-Added Processing of Carbon Waste aims to transform materials currently stockpiled, exported, or sent to landfill into valuable products that support emerging industries.

Across Australia, carbon-based waste represents untapped potential. Rather than treating these materials as problems to dispose of, the Hub sees them as feedstock for innovation.

Backed by $5 million in ARC funding and $13.9 million from 16 industry partners, the Hub brings together leading universities to advance upcycling technologies and build the regulatory and social frameworks needed to process these materials onshore.

The goals are clear: convert under-utilised carbon waste into value-added products, lift technology readiness, and build foundations for commercialisation at scale.

Central to the Hub's vision is training a highly skilled, interdisciplinary cohort with technical, regulatory, and entrepreneurial expertise. This investment in sovereign capability is particularly significant for regional areas where new industries can create new jobs.

"Australia's carbon waste challenge is also an economic opportunity. This Hub is about turning that potential into real outcomes for industry and the environment," said ARC Acting Branch Manager Ms Bonnie Johnson.

The work contributes to Australia's National Waste Action Plan goal for 2030 and moves the nation closer to a circular economy delivering economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Learn more: arc.gov.au