How Do You Measure a Supplier’s Sustainability?
A closer look at the CE Matrix from Sustainability Victoria
At last week’s South Eastern Buy Circular Showcase, we came across a resource that really excited us, the CE Matrix, developed by Sustainability Victoria.
This simple but powerful tool helps councils (and any organisation, really) evaluate the circularity and end-of-life outcomes of materials used by their suppliers. It’s a practical way to assess whether sustainability claims stack up, not just in theory but in practice.
What is the CE Matrix?
The CE Matrix asks two key questions:
- Where is the majority of the material from?
- What happens at the end of its life?
It then provides a score from 1 to 4, helping procurement teams and sustainability officers quickly identify suppliers making meaningful, circular choices and those who aren’t.
It’s designed to be adapted into council procurement policies as a consistent, measurable framework to support environmentally responsible buying decisions.
Why We Love It
At Cardboard Mill, we’ve built our business around making sustainability visible not just something you talk about in a report, but something you see and feel in the materials, the supply chain, and the end-of-life outcomes of what’s produced.
Seeing this matrix made us feel right at home. We’re proud to say that our work consistently lands in the top green zone — a mix of “4” and “3” scoring outcomes:
✅ Reuse and recycling of materials
✅ Minimal remanufacture
✅ 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable
✅ Designed for reuse, dismantling, and minimal waste
✅ Backed by lifecycle custodianship and full traceability
Depending on the brief, we float between the top bands — but always stay well clear of landfill and long-term environmental impact zones.
What This Means for Councils
When this tool rolls out as a procurement framework, it will give councils a practical way to reward and preference suppliers who embed sustainability into every part of their operations, not just those with a “green” logo.
It’s a win for transparency. A win for measurable impact. And a big win for circular design.
What This Means for Us (and You)
This matrix simply confirms what we already live and breathe:
The future of sustainability is in the details.
It’s in how you source, how you design, how you assemble and crucially, how things end their life. That’s where circularity either succeeds or fails.
At Cardboard Mill, we’ll continue doing what we do best:
Making the temporary happen in an environmentally, economically, and socially aware way, and helping our clients reduce impact without compromising creativity.
Looking to future-proof your events, installations, or activations?
Let’s talk about how your next project can land firmly in the green zone.