Technology

Up to 300 new sorting and recycling plants for plastic waste will be commissioned in Europe by 2025, according to a new study that predicts the continent's recycling industry is poised for a period of significant growth. The research by Cologne-based consultancy ecoprog GmbH predicts plants with the capacity to process 5.2 million tonnes of plastic waste will be commissioned over the next 10 years. The surge in investment will result in an increase of 25 per cent on the almost 1,200 plastic sorting and recycling plants active in Europe today. FURTHER READING The main market driver is expected to be the EU Waste Framework Directive, which introduced the "polluter pays principle" and requires member states to re-use or recycle at least 50 per cent of certain household wastes, including paper, metal, plastic and glass, by 2020. However, almost no EU member state has yet reached this goal and a number, including the UK, are thought to be at risk of missing the target. "With…

Good morning everyone, I'm delighted to be here today, and thanks to Maxine for the introduction. I want you to think about something for a second if you will? Think about whether you still have the same mobile phone you had seven or eight years ago... Or perhaps more realistically, how many phones you have had since that time. I dare say most of us have changed our phones in that period; some of us have changed them several times. And it's not surprising when you consider what you now get for your money. Just a few years ago we were wowed with the idea that mobile technology meant we could connect to other people as they went about their daily lives. Whereas now we demand that our phones allow us to not only connect with others, but with every part of our own daily lives. If I just think about my own experience... I recently went to a friend's wedding in Latvia. We used the phone Sat Nav capabilities to get to the airport and check for any traffic delays... We had our board…

Recycling specialist Knowaste has submitted a planning application to build the UK's largest facility for recycling nappies and other hygiene products at a site in Hayes, west London. Knowaste was the first company in the UK to recycle absorbent hygiene products (AHP), which include nappies, incontinence pads and feminine hygiene products, setting up a pilot treatment facility in the West Midlands between 2011 and 2013. FURTHER READING The original site processed an average 12,000 tonnes of the waste a year, including a total of 117 million nappies. However, Knowaste estimates the new £14m Hayes 180 site, which is planned for launch in early 2017, would handle at least 36,000 tonnes of AHP waste per annum. Paul Richardson, UK business development director at Knowaste, said the recycling process is the most sustainable solution for managing AHP waste that is often otherwise sent to landfill or for incineration. "Hayes 180 is the start of an exciting phase for Knowaste, a…

Do you remember when Patagonia told us, "Don't buy this jacket" and started focusing on repairing, reusing and recycling used gear? Patagonia's Common Threads Initiative is a great example of "circular economy" or closed loop principles at work; when people no longer need their Patagonia gear, the company takes it back and makes it into new gear. The resources invested into making the initial products, and the products themselves, are cycled back into production of new products of similar value and utility. Levi's is another excellent example of a clothing company that is successfully employing circular economy principles. Levi's vision is to eliminate a culture of waste, facilitating practical and creative ways to extend the life of jeans, repurpose them, and/or recover and reprocess the fibers into raw material for a next generation of Levi's. Beyond clothing, a number of durable products companies have embraced a circular economic model. Dell is a standout example. The co…

SMi's 8th annual conference on Energy from Waste will bring together industry professionals and local councils working in waste, bioenergy, environmental services and infrastructure finance. It will strengthen knowledge in key topics such as, merchant funding, recycling and European trade, while looking at the practicalities of biomass gasification and keeping attendees at the forefront of technological breakthroughs to adapt to the growing need for greener energy. Understanding European Union initiatives surrounding the circular economy and British policy around energy production and waste management will be a major focus, as will hearing from a selection of local councils currently implementing energy to waste projects. This will include case studies from the Greater London Authority, Southwark Council, North London Waste Authority, Sutton council, the Welsh Government and North Yorkshire County Council. An exclusive update on the energy from waste industry from the Enviro…

Up until a few decades ago, being a brick-maker in India unequivocally meant moulding clay bricks by hand and manufacturing them in coal-fired kilns. This backbreaking work predestined brick-makers to wretched conditions, long hours and exposure to high levels of soot, a scourge on the lungs. While this scenario is still an everyday reality for many, those that are modernising their practices are getting the chance to dramatically improve their working conditions while drastically cutting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. This change is thanks to two Indian scientists who, in 1986, came up with a new technology that revolutionized age-old brick-making practices. Dr Bhanumathidas and Mr N Kalidas created what they call Fal-G technology, so called after its key ingredients: fly-ash; lime; and gypsum. This climate-friendly technology produces bricks without using top soil and completely eliminates the use of coal. What makes these bricks so exceptional is their use of…