With news on: ADBA celebrates tenth anniversary;Public to visit Veolia MRF on ‘Open House London’; Smurfit Kappa recognised for “sustainability approach”; Five-year fellowship granted to research plastic production
ADBA celebrates tenth anniversary
The UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) celebrated its 10th anniversary this week (September 10).
The first ADBA National Conference in December 2009
And, despite highlighting its achievements in this time, ADBA warned that the next 10 years will be “critical” for the AD sector.
Charlotte Morton, chief executive of ADBA, said while she is proud of the work that has been carried out, more is needed in the future.
“We can be very proud of our progress, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their support and their dedication to our industry that made it possible,” she explained.
Ms Morton added: “There is, however, a lot more that we can achieve in the next 10 years. In addition to reducing the UK GHG emissions by 5%, we could meet 30% of domestic energy demand and provide 30,000 new green jobs, largely in rural areas.”
Public to visit Veolia MRF on ‘Open House London’
As part of Open House London, Veolia has invited the public into its Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF).
On Saturday, 21 September, the Southwark facility will host a series of tours throughout the day, “just in time for Recycle Week” (23-29 September).
Part of the MRF at the Southwark facility
The IWMF in Southwark includes a materials recycling facility and an MBT plant. The IWMF was selected to host the launch of the UK Government’s Environment Strategy and also welcomed HRH The Prince of Wales for the Waste to Wealth Summit.
Julie Angulo, general manager for Veolia Southwark said: “The public are more invested in recycling than ever before, and we’re really pleased to see an increase in recycling awareness among Londoners. This is one of our favourite days of the year, as it allows us to show off the hard work of our teams, and assure people that recycling is worth the effort.”
Smurfit Kappa recognised for “sustainability approach”
Smurfit Kappa has been listed on a new sustainability index that recognizes companies active in the reduction of plastic pollution.
The Solactive ISS ESG ‘Beyond Plastic Waste’ Index tracks companies that provide solutions for the reduction, replacement, reuse and recycling of plastic.
The recognition comes less than a year after the company launched its Better Planet Packaging initiative that seeks to reduce packaging waste and “address the challenges of waste and litter that end up in oceans and landfill”.
Steven Stoffer, Group VP of Development at Smurfit Kappa and responsible for the Group’s sustainability activities, added: “We are delighted with this recognition which comes less than a year after launching our Better Planet Packaging initiative.
“We have seen a surge in the number of queries from customers wanting to eliminate single-use plastics and become more circular in their approach to business.”
Five-year fellowship granted to research plastic production
A researcher has been awarded a five-year fellowship to investigate how to make the production of plastics more environmentally friendly.
Professor Charlotte Williams, Professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a five-year established career fellowship by the engineering and physical sciences research council (EPSRC).
The long term goal of the project is to investigate how to re-configure polymer manufacturing to produce sustainable, high-value materials.
The £1.5 million fellowship allows time for Professor Williams and her research team to investigate and develop a recently discovered chemical process – described as “switchable polymer manufacturing” – with a view to making plastics production more environmentally friendly.
The long term goal is to investigate how to re-configure polymer manufacturing to produce sustainable, high-value materials.
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Source: letsrecycle.com General
