South West College (SWC) will use funding from the Ecosurety Exploration Found to initiate a project that will develop a new process to efficiently and mechanically separate food waste from plastic packaging removed from anaerobic digestion (AD) plants without using huge amounts of water. .
The process will provide clean plastics for use in existing markets and maximize the use of food waste feedstock.
The college will implement the initiative – the RE:Solve project – in partnership with the University of Ulster and Granville Eco Park.
Three UK-based innovation and research projects offering life-saving and impactful solutions to the reuse and recycling sectors have been awarded a total of £334,000 in the second round of the Ecosurety Exploration Fund, helping to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
The projects were each selected for their originality, viability and potential long-term impact.
Ashlene Vennard, Postdoctoral Fellow at SWC, said: “This exciting new project is one that SWC is truly passionate about, with our track record in sustainability projects and our knowledge of plastic recycling.
“We not only hope to solve the problem of packaging and food waste to help local industry, but we also hope to provide a solution for all DA factories that process food waste raw materials.
“We look forward to working with our partners at Ulster University and Granville EcoPark, combining our resources to keep these waste streams from going to landfill.”
Offering a total of £1million since its launch in 2019, the second and final round of the Ecosurety Exploration Fund began with a call for applications last June.
This is the only funding opportunity of its kind to be provided by a UK compliance scheme and builds on Ecosurety’s established experience of supporting innovative projects and new technologies in the waste and waste sector. recycling.
Shortlisted entries for the fund were judged by a high-level panel of ten independent experts from trade and non-governmental organisations, including Paula Chin, Sustainable Materials Specialist at WWF UK; Mark Miodownik, professor of materials and society at UCL; Margaret Bates, Executive Director of the OPRL; and Michelle Norman, Director of External Affairs and Sustainability, Suntory Beverage and Food Europe and GB&I.