Blueprint sets out how the UK can lead the world in managing its waste
12th June 2020 | Recycling
A new “blueprint” looks at how the UK – and the Midlands in particular – can take advantage of its industry, facilities and expertise in energy to become a “global leader”. A new report published by the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) and the Birmingham Energy Institute at the University of Birmingham sets out a “blueprint for how the UK can lead the world in managing its waste and converting it into clean energy”.
The Energy from Waste and The Circular Economy Policy Commission looks at the ways in which the UK and the Midlands in particular can take advantage of its industry, facilities and expertise in energy to become a global leader in this area. Chaired by Lord Robin Teverson, the commission consists of leaders from industry, academia and the public sector, who, over a period of several months discussed the issues and challenges, explored the potential technological solutions and took evidence from a range of experts.
Managing waste
Waste disposal is a vital public service, but how that waste is disposed of is a significant challenge not just in the UK, but around the world. Putting waste into landfill, or incinerating it causes huge amounts of greenhouse gases and wastes what could be used a valuable resource, not just for recycling but also for energy.
There are already great examples of where this is happening, such as the Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham, where a relatively small investment from government via ERA, and also the University of Birmingham, has provided the catalyst for a major energy from waste innovation zone to be created. On average, every kilogramme of products consumed in the UK takes 10kg of material to produce, of which 9kg is discarded as waste, and there is also rising public concern about plastic waste in rivers and seas.
More information available on the website below