By James Kennedy, a technology analyst at market intelligence firm IDTechEx.

The advanced recycling market for plastics predominantly focuses on technologies like pyrolysis and depolymerization (thermal, chemical, and enzymatic). To a lesser extent, methods such as gasification and hydrothermal liquefaction are also being explored. However, these technologies face increasing scrutiny and restrictions in some regions due to their environmental impact. However, while mechanical recycling is the preferred recycling method due to its cost-effectiveness and efficiency, it still falls short in applications requiring high purity and mechanical properties. To address these challenges posed by both chemical recycling technologies and mechanical recycling, dissolution technologies (sometimes referred to as solvent extraction) offer a promising solution.

Dissolution explained
Dissolution involves separating polymer waste using a solvent. The solvent selectively dissolves the polymer, separating it from contaminants and other non-target materials. Once dissolved, the solution is purified, and the solvent is removed, leaving behind a nearly pure plastic that can be processed back into granules for reuse in manufacturing.

This method can deal with contaminated or mixed plastic waste that is challenging to recycle through mechanical means while not breaking the polymers into their constituent molecules or feedstock. The need to carefully separate different polymer types is reduced, as plastic types can be selectively dissolved and separated out when using the correct solvent mixture. The processes are designed with solvents and separation methods for specific plastic types such as polypropylene, polystyrene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

PureCycle Technologies is a notable player in the field of plastic dissolution. The company utilizes a proprietary technology developed by Procter & Gamble to recycle polypropylene. Its process involves using a solvent (primarily n-butane) to purify waste polypropylene into a form that is comparable in quality to virgin plastic. PureCycle states that its recycled PP can be used in applications where mechanical recycling methods, such as food-grade packaging, would not suffice. PureCycle is currently the leading commercial-scale provider in this space.

The key advantage of dissolution is the higher theoretical overall yield that it can provide compared to chemical recycling technologies, as the product re-enters the plastic supply chain as a ready-for-use resin rather than simply a polymer building block or a hydrocarbon.

As a relatively nascent industry, there is continuing R&D on its processes. One standout is Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP), which is a new technology framework that researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed. The technology can separate the components of multilayer plastic films and remove contaminants. Multilayer films are a key challenge in plastic waste management, and as a result, the commercialization of this technology has strong potential. Additionally, the developers of STRAP claim the process has many advantages over competitors, including operation at atmospheric pressure and lower temperatures. At present, a STRAP pilot plant is being built at Michigan Tech University to prove the technology. The promise of a highly adaptable dissolution system for this type of hard-to-recycle plastic waste would be the most sought-after solution. The technical challenges of scaling STRAP will likely mean several years before this is at a commercial scale.

The general process for the dissolution of plastic waste (source: IDTechX). Click image to enlarge.

Dissolution drawbacks
While dissolution technology holds promise, it is not without its challenges and criticisms. For example, there are questions about long-term circularity as the polymer is likely to degrade over successive cycling. Another concern with the dissolution process is the environmental impact of the solvents used. These chemicals must be managed carefully to avoid releasing harmful substances into the environment. The energy required to heat the solvents and subsequently remove them from the dissolved plastic also adds to the carbon footprint of the process.

The economic viability of dissolution technology also remains uncertain. The cost of the solvents, energy consumption, and the need for sophisticated infrastructure will likely make recycled polymers from dissolution plants more expensive than with mechanical recycling methods. The size of this green premium versus other recycling technologies will determine whether dissolution plants can be economically viable.
Furthermore, the scale required to make a significant impact on plastic waste through dissolution is immense. Building the necessary infrastructure to process large volumes of plastic waste through dissolution is a massive undertaking that will require substantial capital investment and time.

The success of dissolution technologies like PureCycle’s depends on market demand for recycled plastics. While there is growing interest in sustainable materials, competition from cheaper, virgin plastics can limit the market potential for recycled products. Future efforts will focus on developing processes for a wider range of polymer types. Companies such as APK, Worn Again, and Polystyvert are working with polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS), respectively. The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) is developing a process called Mobius for recycling acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), though it is not yet commercialized.

Dissolution presents a promising technology for addressing the demand for low-carbon, versatile plastic waste solutions. However, several hurdles remain, including technological refinement, commercial scaling, and economic challenges. Stakeholders must carefully evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of dissolution within the broader context of global waste management strategies. Navigating economic challenges will be key, as price will be the determinant factor in success as companies adopting recycled polymers evaluate how much of a green premium they can afford. Continued research, investment, and regulatory support will be essential to refine the process and assess its long-term viability as part of a comprehensive effort to mitigate the impact of plastic waste on the environment.

A new study attempts to shine a light on the enormous scale of uncollected rubbish and open burning of plastic waste in what’s described as the first ever global plastics pollution inventory.

University of Leeds researchers used AI to model waste management in more than 50,000 municipalities around the world. This model allowed them to predict how much waste was generated globally and what happens to it, say the researchers.

Their study, published in the journal Nature, calculated a staggering 52 million tonnes of plastic products entered the environment in 2020 – which, laid out in a line would stretch around the World over 1,500 times.

It also revealed that more than two thirds of the planet’s plastic pollution comes from uncollected rubbish with almost 1.2 billion people — 15% of the global population — living without access to waste collection services.

The findings further show that in 2020 roughly 30 million tonnes of plastics — amounting to 57% of all plastic pollution — was burned without any environmental controls in place, in homes, on streets and in dumpsites. Burning plastic comes with ‘substantial’ threats to human health, including neurodevelopmental, reproductive and birth defects.

The researchers also identified new plastic pollution hotspots, revealing India as the biggest contributor — rather than China as has been suggested in previous models — followed by Nigeria and Indonesia.

(Above) Infographic: Top 10 Plastic Polluters Ranked (image credit: Dr Angeliki Savvantoglou of Bear Bones). Click to enlarge.

Lack of rubbish harms health, environment and economy
The researchers believe the study shows access to waste collection should be seen as a basic necessity and a vital aspect of sanitation, alongside water and sewerage services.

While uncontrolled burning of plastic has received very little attention in the past, the new calculations show it to be at least as big a problem as rubbish thrown into the environment, even once uncertainty in the model is taken into consideration.

Dr Costas Velis, academic on Resource Efficiency Systems from the School of Civil Engineering at Leeds, led the research. He said: “We need to start focusing much, much more on tackling open burning and uncollected waste before more lives are needlessly impacted by plastic pollution. It cannot be ‘out of sight, out of mind’.”

First author Dr Josh Cottom, Research Fellow in Plastics Pollution at Leeds, said: “Uncollected waste is the biggest source of plastic pollution, with at least 1.2 billion people living without waste collection services forced to ‘self-manage’ waste, often by dumping it on land, in rivers, or burning it in open fires.”

Dr Cottom added: “The health risks resulting from plastic pollution affect some of the world’s poorest communities, who are powerless to do anything about it. By improving basic solid waste management, we can both massively reduce plastic pollution and improve the lives of billions.”

Each year, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced. Many plastic products are single-use, hard to recycle, and can stay in the environment for decades or centuries, often being fragmented into smaller items. Some plastics contain potentially harmful chemical additives which could pose a threat to human health, particularly if they are burned in the open.

New plastic pollution hotspots revealed
According to the paper’s estimated global data for 2020, the worst polluting countries were: India: 9.3 million tonnes — around a fifth of the total amount; Nigeria: 3.5 million tonnes; and Indonesia: 3.4 million tonnes.

China, previously reported to be the worst, is now ranked fourth, with 2.8 million tonnes, as a result of improvements collecting and processing waste over recent years. The UK was ranked 135, with around 4,000 tonnes per year, with littering the biggest source.

Low and middle-income countries have much lower plastic waste generation, but a large proportion of it is either uncollected or disposed of in dumpsites. India emerges as the largest contributor because it has a large population, roughly 1.4 billion, and much of its waste isn’t collected.

The contrast between plastic waste emissions from the Global North and the Global South is stark. Despite high plastic consumption, macroplastic pollution — pollution from plastic objects larger than 5 millimeters — is a comparatively small issue in the Global North as waste management systems function comprehensively. There, littering is the main cause of macroplastic pollution.

Growing fears for sub-Saharan Africa
While many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have generally low levels of plastic pollution, they become hotspots when looked at on a per-capita basis with an average 12 kg plastic pollution per person per year, equivalent to over 400 plastic bottles. For comparison, the United Kingdom currently has the per-capita equivalent of less than three plastic bottles per person per year.

Researchers are worried this indicates Sub-Saharan Africa could become the world’s largest source of plastic pollution in the next few decades, because many of its countries have poor waste management and the population is anticipated to grow rapidly.

World needs a ‘Plastics Treaty’ informed by science
Researchers say this first ever global inventory of plastic pollution provides a baseline — comparable to those for climate change emissions — that can be used by policymakers to tackle this looming environmental disaster. They want their work to help policymakers come up with waste management, resource recovery and wider circular economy plans, and want to see a new, ambitious and legally binding, global ‘Plastics Treaty’ aimed at tackling the sources of plastic pollution.

Dr Velis said: “This is an urgent global human health issue — an ongoing crisis: people whose waste is not collected have no option but to dump or burn it: setting the plastics on fire may seem to make them ‘disappear’, but in fact the open burning of plastic waste can lead to substantial human health damage including neurodevelopmental, reproductive and birth defects; and much wider environmental pollution dispersion.”

Second author Ed Cook, Research Fellow in Circular Economy Systems for Waste Plastics at Leeds, said: “In the past policymakers have struggled to tackle this problem, partly because of the scarcity of good quality data. We hope that our detailed local scale dataset will help decision-makers to allocate scarce resources to address plastic pollution efficiently.”

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) says it is seeking views on proposed changes to how environmental activities are regulated in Scotland.

Earlier this year, SEPA consulted on how a new framework would be implemented to streamline and simplify the regulation of activities across the four main regulatory regimes: water, waste management, radioactive substances and industrial activities, currently known as pollution, prevention and control (PPC). Overall, around 84% of respondents agreed to the proposed approach on the type, tier and wording of the activities and authorisations.

Now, regulated businesses, trade associations and other interested stakeholders are being encouraged to have their say on proposed changes to application and subsistence charges and the authorisation conditions applied to activities regulated using a registration-level authorisation.

SEPA’s two new consultations will inform the next steps for implementing the Integrated Authorisation Framework for regulation of waste management, water and industrial activities. The framework, established by the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR 2018), aims to provide a simpler, integrated system for environmental regulation that is easier for businesses and individuals to understand.

Sandra Tough, Head of Permitting at SEPA, said: “Our latest consultations on regulatory charging and standard conditions present an opportunity for businesses to have their say and help us ensure environmental regulation remains fair and proportionate.

“We want to hear from the businesses and organisations that we regulate, industry bodies, and other individuals interested in the environment. Your views will help us develop an effective and consistent regulatory framework to better protect the environment while supporting businesses to make informed decisions about carrying out regulated activities and improving the transparency of how we regulate.”

Updating charges and introducing standard conditions
While most charges will remain the same under the new framework, there may be an increase or decrease in application and/or subsistence charges for some regulated activities where there are proposed changes to authorisation level or regulatory effort.

SEPA’s charging consultation outlines the proposed changes and explains the reasoning behind the introduction of any new charges, such as where a new activity is being regulated. It also highlights other changes to regulatory charging that will be introduced under EASR 2018, including changes to charging descriptions to make it easier to understand the charges that apply to a specific activity.

The consultation on standard conditions sets out the proposed rules that operators must comply with under the new framework for activities regulated using a registration level authorisation. The use of standard conditions helps remove inconsistencies in how businesses are regulated, benefiting operators by creating a level playing field and helping SEPA support businesses make informed decisions while ensuring the environment is protected.

Interested stakeholders are invited to join SEPA at a series of online consultation information events, beginning 12 September 2024.

You can respond to the consultations online via SEPA’s Consultation Hub. The consultation on charging closes on 13 October and standard conditions closes on 24 November.

• Read SEPA’s consultation on changes to the regulatory charging scheme.
• Read SEPA’s consultation on proposed standard conditions for registration level activities.
• Read a full overview of the responses to SEPA’s previous EASR 2018 consultation on types of authorisation for ​waste management, water and ​industrial activities.
• Find out more about Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018.

Developing new kinds of recyclable fibre-based products is the aim of an initiative in Scandinavia, which aims to reduce energy and resource consumption in the forestry and textile industry.

The goal of the Energy First initiative, says VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, is to act as a starting point for an entirely new technology, creating “the conditions for the manufacture of low-carbon, energy-efficient, and recyclable fibre-based products”.

With trends such as the continued growth of global e-commerce, the demand for fibre-based packaging is projected to grow 5–10% annually.¹ It needs to be easy to recycle and have a low carbon footprint. Within non-wovens, used in napkins and wipes for example, VTT said it expects a strong shift away from traditional products (that contain plastic) towards cellulose-based products.

It has a budget of around 20 million euros over the next four years, and consists of several projects, with collaborative research aiming to develop and test commercially viable, sustainable alternatives for cardboard packaging, hygiene products, and non-woven fabrics.

According to VTT, preliminary estimates suggest the new manufacturing process will provide a reduction of up to 90% in water consumption and a significant decrease in carbon emissions. Overall, the goal is to reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.

Products manufactured with the new process are designed to be compatible with existing recycling methods. Furthermore, fibre-based packaging is produced in a way that makes it a sustainable alternative to reusable packaging, said the group. The planned EU packaging and packaging directive requires that both the raw material and the manufacturing process are sustainable, and recyclable bio-based packaging solutions will have to undergo a sustainability assessment.

The project also seeks to redefine the forest industry’s environmental impact and enhance the competitiveness of fibre-based products. For example, by making the products lighter, more products could be produced for consumer use from the same amount of wood, which improves resource efficiency.

“We feel that the Energy First project is one of the first steps in unlocking the full potential of airlaid technology² in sustainable single-use and durable product categories. Anpap³ has set the benchmark for the airlaid industry for the past 40 years, and we have a strong commitment to keep developing the technology to enable the transition to next-generation sustainable products. Compared to wetlaid, airlaid web forming is flexible and consumes dramatically less natural resources, such as water, which reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing and while satisfying the needs of consumers,” says Tuukka Vihtakari, CTO, Anpap.

The initiative is funded by EU, ERDF, VTT and the collaborating companies. The consortium is also engaging with EU projects, such as EU SteamDry, with a total budget of 9.84 million euros over 3.5 years.

Notes
[1] According to data from Statista Market Insights and eMarketer
[2] The term refers to a manufacturing process used to produce nonwoven materials, particularly those made from natural fibres like cellulose, wood pulp, or a mixture of various fibres. This technology involves forming a web of fibres using air as the medium to distribute them, rather than traditional textile processes like weaving or knitting.
[3] A Finnish manufacturer of airlaid machinery

The US Plastics Pact has released its Design for Circularity Playbooks, described as essential reports designed to guide the lifecycle of plastics in the US.

“The newly unveiled Design for Recyclability Playbook, Design for Reuse Playbook, and Design for Compostability Playbook provide detailed guidelines to ensure that plastic packaging is continuously reused, recycled, or composted, thereby reducing plastic waste and its environmental impact”, says the group.

The US Plastics Pact describes itself as a solutions-focused consortium of businesses, government agencies, NGOs, and research institutions at the forefront of efforts to foster a circular economy for plastics. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the group aims to drive systemic change across the plastics value chain. These playbooks are presented as tools for industry insiders and essential guides for anyone committed to sustainability.

“These reports are crucial tools that hold all of us accountable for designing sustainable and environmentally friendly plastic packaging,” said Jonathan Quinn, CEO of US Plastics Pact.

“By providing clear, actionable guidelines, we empower companies and organizations to make informed decisions to drive substantial improvements in plastic design and management.”

Integrating sustainability into plastic design
Together, the three reports are said to offer a comprehensive strategy for integrating sustainability into the design and lifecycle of plastic packaging. The Design for Recyclability Playbook ensures that plastic packaging is compatible with existing recycling systems. It sets expectations for designing new packages and optimizing existing ones, aiming to maximize recycling value and minimize the use of problematic materials that interfere with recycling processes or contaminate recycled content. This approach enhances the efficiency and efficacy of recycling systems and increases national recycling rates, contributing to a more sustainable plastic lifecycle.

The Design for Reuse Playbook addresses the demand for sustainable packaging solutions by providing a toolkit for developing and implementing reusable packaging systems. Aligning with the global principles of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, this playbook promotes systems that support repeated use, reducing reliance on single-use plastics. This initiative is critical for businesses looking to minimize waste and foster a culture of reuse.

The Design for Compostability Playbook explores how businesses can create compostable packaging that supports the development of organics diversion systems in the U.S. The guidelines ensure that compostable packaging breaks down efficiently in composting facilities, converting waste into valuable compost that can enhance soil health and support sustainable agriculture.

Driving responsibility and accountability
As the group explains: “Integral to the paradigm shift toward sustainable plastics packaging design, these playbooks establish best practice guidelines that promote designing for multiple uses, enhancing recyclability, and producing high-quality recycled content. This ensures a unified and practical approach to achieving sustainability goals in plastics management, fostering responsibility and accountability across all stakeholders.”

In June, the US Plastics Pact launched its strategic plan, Roadmap 2.0, which summarizes its achievements to date and sets out targets for the future. “Stakeholders are encouraged to adopt these guidelines to help create a circular economy where plastics are continuously reused, recycled, or composted. This proactive approach will significantly reduce environmental impacts for a healthier planet.”

For more information and to access the playbooks and the report, visit usplasticspact.org.

A giant pink cat hologram will be surprising commuters at London Waterloo from Tuesday 20th August. The hologram is seemingly an effigy of HypnoCat, Recycle Your Electricals’ pink, fluffy mascot, which will be playfully leaping out at commuters, tail a-twitching and eyes a-swirling.

The giant, 3-metre-tall pink HypnoCat will be seen pouncing on commuters and mesmerising them as electrical items spiral around him, seemingly highlighting the tech items that he wants everyone to recycle. The state-of-the-art technology, provided by HyperGram, uses the latest holographic technology, without the need for a screen or glasses. 3-D objects float mid-air, ensuring that HypnoCat and his message are impossible to ignore. He’ll make recycling electricals unmissable for commuters, holiday goers and shoppers.

The HypnoCat hologram is being launched in the run-up to International E-Waste Day (October 14th), to encourage people across the UK to participate in The Great Cable Challenge. This nationwide campaign aims to address the millions of unused cables lying idle across homes by urging households, local authorities, retailers, schools and community projects to collectively recycle 1 million cables. Cables contain at least 20% copper and this precious material is lost forever when cables and other electricals are thrown away. Copper is an essential part of everyday items we take for granted, including our smart tech, transport, medical equipment and our green energy future.

Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus said, “HypnoCat is out and about and larger than ever before! Using incredible hologram technology in this unique visual way, we hope he will pawsuade many more people to take action and join us in our recycling efforts in the run up to International E-Waste Day.

“Almost all of us have those old, forgotten cables stashed away at home – I have a box under my bed of cables I’ve been holding onto ‘just in case’ but haven’t actually used in months or are broken. But by recycling them or donating those that still work, we can repurpose or reclaim that valuable copper currently going to waste. The Great Cable Challenge is a simple way for everyone to make a big, collective difference – by recycling at least one cable. Most people will be surprised at just how easy it is to do.”

As a nation of cat lovers, we all know that “cats rule” and this cat is no exception – he’ll be distracting commuters, and even a few dogs! With his tail twitching impatiently, and his voice booming, he’ll compete with essential train information. Commuters at Waterloo on 20th – 24th August will find HypnoCat in 3D underneath the big train time information board.

Bailey Young, Director at DMG said, “Disturbed Media Group, an innovative agency at the forefront of immersive experiences, is proud to announce the showcase of its latest project in the UK, HyperGram. Leveraging state-of-the-art 3D holographic technology developed by our esteemed tech partner, Hypervsn, HyperGram transforms traditional visual storytelling by creating animations that appear to float in mid-air.

It’s been a joy bringing to life Hypnocat which seemed incredibly fitting to what we were trying to achieve this year. We hope consumers around London have a really enjoyable experience and we look forward to the results of the campaign!”

How can you get involved in International E-Waste Day?
Anyone can participate in The Great Cable Challenge and take one small action to make a big difference. Simply bag up your cables – and any other old, unwanted electricals you find in your ‘drawer of doom’ – and visit Recycle Your Electricals’ postcode locator to find your local donation or recycling point.

Material Focus has created a campaign toolkit to enable local authorities, retailers, schools and community projects across the UK to take part in the challenge and help inspire people to recycle their old cables and other small electricals. If you would like more information then please email hello@materialfocus.org.uk.

Partners can either:

• Set up pop-up cable collections in offices, universities, schools and community halls, to make it as easy as possible for employees, students or residents to recycle their household electricals and cables. The toolkit includes a step-by-step guide for setting up your own pop-up collection point (for household electricals only, not business waste).
• Help promote the campaign using Material Focus’ communication materials, and raise awareness of electrical waste and encourage individuals, and local communities, to take action.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a Circularity Index that they say provides a comprehensive method to quantify circularity in bioeconomic systems. In a new paper, they outline the method and apply it to two case studies – a corn/soybean farming operation and the entire US food and agriculture system.

“The traditional economic system is linear – we produce, distribute, use, and dispose of products. To increase sustainability, we need to develop a circular economy. Rather than just using natural resources, we must recover, reuse, and recycle waste materials,” said lead author Yuanhui Zhang, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE).

“Circular bioeconomy has become a hot topic in research, but most studies are merely descriptive and there’s no way to measure impacts. To move the technology forward, we need measurements to quantify effects, establish benchmarks, compare approaches, and identify weak spots,” he said.

In the paper, the researchers provide a step-by-step outline of the Circularity Index (CI), which measures circularity on a scale from 0 to 1. Zero means the system is completely linear, and 1 means it is completely circular. The index includes eight categories: take, make, distribute, use, dispose, recover, remake, and reuse. The CI is computed by entering available data into each of these categories.

Zhang and his colleagues demonstrate how to use the CI in two case studies. The first examines nitrogen cycling in a corn-soybean farm in the Midwestern United States. The researchers enter production and output data for a period of 8 years, and compare the effect of two different fertilizer treatments: urea versus manure. They calculate the CI to be 0.687 for urea and 0.86 for manure, indicating the use of manure fertilizer provides a more circular economy.

In the second case study, Zhang and his colleagues look at the U.S. food and agriculture system, focusing on energy use. Drawing on national data from the USDA, EPA, and DOE, they compare the current system with an approach based on the Environment-Enhancing Food Energy and Water System framework, which involves recovery, remake, and reuse of organic waste. They find the existing system has a CI of 0.179, while the EE-FEWS approach would lead to a CI of 0.84.

“Our current production system relies primarily on fossil fuel, with some use of solar and wind energy. But there is very little recovery of biowaste. If we recover food waste and manure and turn it into energy and fertilizer, we can recycle it back to the agricultural systems it originates from. Employing the EE-FEWS framework would greatly improve circularity of the U.S. bioeconomy,” Zhang explained.

The CI is a scalable method that can be used on different resource types and systems, depending on the focus of interest. Resources can be minerals, such as carbon or nitrogen, or non-mineral, such as water or energy. Systems can range from a process or a farm to an industry sector, a national economy, or even the global economy.

“We know it’s important to reduce fossil fuel use, increase renewable resources, and minimize our water consumption. But to do so effectively, we need to know how much, and what the weak links and tradeoffs are. The CI provides a single number that allows you to establish a baseline, compare systems, and determine best strategies for action,” Zhang said.

The CI can serve as an indicator to support policy initiatives such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. It also has potential commercial value; for example, food companies can demonstrate their production circularity to consumers.

The paper, “A scalable index for quantifying circularity of bioeconomy systems,” is published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling [DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107821].

Chris Williams of software firm ISB Global makes the case for digitalisation as the means for a less wasteful, more resource-efficient global economic model.

A circular economy involves building a ‘zero waste’ approach into everything we do. From reducing the volume of raw materials needed to make products, to ensuring there is a sustainable approach for disposing of products when they reach their end of life – these steps all reduce waste, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves the environment.

The road to building a sustainable circular economy is now a digital issue. For it to become a reality, business, organisations, and governments must use digital to put in place their own low-waste circular approaches.

Digitalisation can not only enhance operational performance by providing clear visibility across all business functions but also allow better access to forecasting data. A low code approach can play a key role in this process.

Low-code software as a catalyst for transformation
With the emergence of low code software over the past 20 years, organisations have been able to achieve their digital transformation, faster and with greater accuracy.

The benefits are clear. Low code-based software applications reduce costs making collaboration easier and speeding up development and rollout, as well as supporting new features and providing continual updates, which can be designed, programmed, tested and released in a fraction of the time of traditional hand coding.

Its ability to bring platforms and applications to market more quickly also allows organisations to respond to new developments, add new features and functionality, and deliver a better user interface and user experience

ISB Global has used our partner OutSystem’s low code platform to harness these advantages and meet the particular needs of waste management operators and other companies who use our Waste and Recycling One platform to build an adept sustainable operating model.

Platforms like this gives organisations the all-important insight they need to become more agile and respond to new developments and challenges as they arise.

Digitalisation can make the circular economy a reality
There are three principal ways in which digitalisation can reduce environmental impact and facilitate a more circular low-waste economy:

• Improving resource efficiency

The extraction of raw materials used to make products – whether by drilling, mining, quarrying or farming – damages the environment, generates harmful emissions, and depletes the planet’s natural resources.

To move to a circular economy, manufacturers and producers must identify and source alternative materials that are less environmentally harmful: or reuse existing materials. Digitalisation enables businesses to track materials through their lifecycle: and also, accurately measure the benefits of using alternative materials or reusing existing ones.

• Increasing resilience

Companies are already having to deal with more incidents of supply disruption and shortages caused by extreme weather, conflict or other unexpected events. These occurrences are likely to increase in future.

The onus now is on businesses to secure resources and maintain supply chains or establish alternative ones. AI-assisted forecasting that accurately predicts supply and demand needs, and which also identifies potential weaknesses in operations before they become a problem, gives organisations the means to boost their resilience by pre-empting possible supply chain disruptions and shortages.

• Smarter designs for a circular approach

Digital tools will help businesses to design products and services that support a circular economy – everything from assessing the suitability of new materials: re-designing products where necessary, managing assembly and disassembly: and separating materials at the end of a product’s life for reuse elsewhere.

Digitalisation has the transformational potential to adapt how businesses work and establishing a less resource-intensive, more circular low-waste economy. This is essential for conserving our environment at a local, national and international level.

The implementation of different digital technologies has the potential to make a low-waste circular economy a reality by enhancing the workflows and operational efficiency. Coupled with old-fashioned human inventiveness and endeavour, the latest digital technologies can offer significant opportunities for progress.

Rather than seeing digitalisation as a necessary operational cost, companies should instead regard it as an investment that will strengthen their business, boost performance, and inspire new ideas and opportunities – all while contributing to a healthier, more sustainable way of life.

Chris Williams is CEO of ISB Global, a UK-based provider of planning software for the global waste management and recycling industry.

Resource management company Veolia has expanded the solvent recovery capacity at its Garston, Liverpool, facility to 86,000 tonnes a year.

Effective recycling of these used solvents, waste paint thinners and solvent-based paint, will create new products as an alternative to virgin solvents, says the firm, so that they can be used again in industries including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, paint, agrochemicals and cement manufacture.

The solvent recovery process will also save an estimated 172,000 tonnes CO2e in greenhouse gas emissions each year, compared to virgin resources. It was announced as part of the firm’s new strategic plan GreenUP,

Waste materials are processed at the site to regenerate them into high quality recycled products that can be reused displacing virgin materials in the supply chain. The facility uses various distillation technologies to separate residues from the wastes, and then to further separate solvent mixtures into products suitable for industrial customers.

As well as generating products the plant also produces several types of fuel. A distilled product fuel is used instead of natural gas to power the site’s steam boilers, reducing the energy required from gas by 10,000 MWh per year, equivalent to the gas usage of 1,000 homes per year. Other by-products from the process are sent to Veolia facilities to be manufactured into alternative fuels for use in the cement industry, helping to decarbonize this industry and reduce the reliance on fossil fuels.

The increased processing capacity has been achieved by installing new distillation columns to separate liquids, and 17 tanks to store or transfer the solvents. Transport is handled through two new high throughput tanker loading bays which manage logistics for offloading waste for processing, and load the recycled solvents ready for customer delivery.

Bristol-based beer importer Budweiser Budvar UK has contributed more than £400,000 to a national environmental charity after failing to register as a producer of packaging.

According to the Environment Agency, the company should have registered in 2004 under regulations on packaging waste and taken steps to ensure the waste was recovered and recycled. An investigation two years ago found that the company had failed to do so, and the agency said the company claimed it had been unaware of the regulations until it stepped in.

Following the investigation, the company has now contributed £414,003.54 to Keep Britain Tidy for use in their Great British Spring Clean campaign. The sum was paid as part of a reactive Enforcement Undertaking – a legal agreement between the Environment Agency and an offender as an alternative action to prosecution or other monetary penalty.

The payment was agreed as the amount saved by the company in not recycling or recovering packaging waste, plus a penalty of 30 per cent. In addition, it has covered the Environment Agency’s costs.

Jake Richardson of the Environment Agency said: “It’s important that businesses take responsibility for the packaging that they place on the UK market. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations ensure that businesses such as Budweiser Budvar UK Ltd contribute towards the cost of recycling the packaging that they add to the UK waste-stream.

“In this case, we investigated and found they had failed to comply with the regulations and had consequently not paid its rightful share towards the recycling of its packaging. When the company realised this, it wanted to do the right thing and so it submitted an Enforcement Undertaking offer, which ensured that all avoided recycling costs were donated to a project that will enhance, restore and protect England’s natural environment.

“Budweiser Budvar UK Ltd is now fully compliant with the Packaging Regulations and has put processes in place to ensure continued compliance in the future.

“Enforcement Undertakings, when appropriate, allow a better resolution for the environment than a prosecution and help offenders who are prepared to take responsibility for their actions to put things right voluntarily, in a way that directly benefits the environment and local communities.”