BlueScope Highlights Circularity in Practice at TRANSFORM 2026
BlueScope was proud to be a Silver Sponsor of TRANSFORM 2026, the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) industry leading sustainability conference, held on 18–19 March 2026.
Bringing together sustainability leaders, consultants, specifiers, developers, manufacturers, and policymakers, it provided a platform to explore practical solutions and emerging ideas shaping the future of the built environment. This year, circularity was a key focus – both across the program and through BlueScope’s contribution to the event.
“Circularity is becoming an increasingly important sustainability consideration for projects. What we’re seeing is practical circularity strategies being applied – through design decisions, material choices and early collaboration,” said Philippa Stone, Sustainability Manager at BlueScope.
Circularity in practice: Western Sydney Stadium
A key highlight of BlueScope’s involvement was its sponsored breakout session, Circularity in Practice: A Case Study, which explored how circular design principles can deliver real impact on complex, large-scale projects.
The session featured Al Baxter, Senior Principal and APAC Regional Board Director at Populous, and James Wewer, Head of Sustainability – Development & Construction at Lendlease, in conversation with Katherine Featherstone, Senior Manager Products and Materials at Green Building Council of Australia, and showcased Western Sydney Stadium as a practical example of circular thinking in action.
The project demonstrates the value of early collaboration across the supply chain in enabling more efficient and sustainable design outcomes. Its steel structure was designed for disassembly, using bolted rather than welded connections, which will allow components to be dismantled and reused in the future.
Additional strategies included optimising steel member sizes to align with readily available sections, designing for transport efficiency, and supporting traceability through digital modelling and tagging of steel elements.
Together, these approaches highlight how steel can support circular design by enabling future reuse, reducing material consumption, and maximising material value over multiple lifecycles.
Launching new circularity resources
At TRANSFORM, BlueScope also launched a new online resource hub to help support circular outcomes across the steel value chain.
Developed for industry professionals, the hub brings together a range of practical content, including a video introduction, in-depth articles, case studies and a downloadable brochure.
“These resources are designed to help the industry understand how circular design strategies with steel can be applied in practice,” said Philippa. “By sharing real examples and practical guidance, we hope to support more informed and considered decision-making, particularly during the design phase.”
Supporting circular outcomes with steel
TRANSFORM 2026 reinforced the importance of collaboration in improving circularity in the built environment.
BlueScope is committed to working with industry partners to inspire and support more circular designs, through practical case studies, technical guidance and ongoing collaboration, with a continued focus on applying circular strategies in practical and scalable ways.
Further information
- Explore BlueScope’s circularity resources: Visit the circularity resource hub
- Read the Western Sydney Stadium case study
- See more images below from TRANSFORM 2026
