Innovation Opportunities from Industrial Waste
Knowledge Transfer Network
June 2016
Contact
NAME: Catherine
Joce, Circular Economy Lead
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEB: www.ktn-uk.org
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Executive Summary
The UK waste sector (valued at over £11bn) is
currently in the process of transitioning its offering
to meet the new waste-to-resources paradigm. This
report seeks to stimulate innovation in the waste
sector by highlighting future technology trends and
opportunities for growth through the development of
new processes, technologies and services. Innovation
is required to address the challenges involved in
economically recovering valuable materials from waste
as well as to keep up with the changing composition
of waste.
Over the course of a one-year investigation,
centred on a workshop involving 80 stakeholders
across the waste supply chain, Knowledge Transfer
Network (KTN) has investigated context, barriers to
innovation and innovation opportunities related to
the valorisation of industrial waste. These topics are
discussed against four sector groups:
yy Infrastructure systems: transport, energy, urban
living and the built environment
yy Manufacturing, reprocessing and materials
yy Emerging and enabling technologies: digital,
satellite applications, design and creative
economy, emerging technologies and industries,
robotics and autonomous systems, electronics,
sensors, photonics
yy Health, agri-food and life sciences
The response from industry stakeholders to this
investigation clearly indicated economic potential
for the valorisation of industrial waste into high
value chemicals, materials and products. This report
identifies a long list of innovation opportunities that
have the potential to be exploited by UK companies.
KTN hopes that the content in this report will help
companies to identify opportunities for innovation and
to stimulate ideas for technology development. KTN
will continue to work with UK companies to exploit
these opportunities, accelerating the UK’s transition to
a resource-efficient and resilient economy.
3
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Introduction
The global waste and recycling market is currently
worth more than $1 trillion, sustained by a linear
take-make-dispose economic system and increasing
numbers of affluent consumers. The UK waste and
recycling sector has an annual turnover of over £11bn,
GVA of almost £5bn1, and strong annual growth rates
of 3-4%.2
Waste is increasingly seen as an economic opportunity
— a feedstock, a precursor of higher value products
or energy. Drivers for more efficient and valuable
recovery methods for waste include increasing EU
targets for recycling, rising landfill tax, high costs for
waste disposal and the export of residual wastes.
Secondary resource streams provide a secure,
local feedstock mitigating against price volatility of
virgin materials and increasing security of supply.
Maximising the value from waste is driven by these
factors, transitioning waste into a resource.
The largest waste-producing sector in the UK is
construction, followed by the commercial and
industrial sectori, which combined generate 74% of
the UK’s waste.3
This report by the Knowledge Transfer Network
(KTN) seeks to stimulate innovation in the waste
sector by highlighting future technology trends and
opportunities for growth through the development of
new processes, technologies and services.
i The commercial and industrial sector classification is based on NACE
codes: manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco; manufacture
of textiles, apparel, leather; manufacture of wood and wood products; manufacture of coke and petroleum products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber
and plastic; manufacture of basic metals and metal products; manufacture
of computer, electrical equipment, machinery, vehicles; manufacture of
furniture, other manufacturing, repair; electricity, gas, steam supply; water,
sewerage, remediation and commercial sectors — G to U services.
4
The changing nature of
waste demands innovation
Waste itself is not a static commodity. As products
and technologies continually evolve, so does the
composition of waste, with a lag time corresponding
to the product-use phase. Current electronic products
demand a plethora of exotic metals and materials
that were not used 20 years ago. Cars of the future
will contain large batteries, novel propulsion systems,
composite materials and ever-increasing amounts of
electronics. Some novel and smarter materials, such
as lightweight composites in vehicles or permanent
magnets in wind turbines, pose problems when their
whole lifecycle is considered. On their first use they
offer potential energy savings — but without ways
of recovering them from mixtures of materials, or of
reusing components made from them, they are likely
to end up in landfill.
Innovation is required at end of life to keep pace with
innovation in product development. The end of life
opportunities and risks posed by novel materials were
examined recently in a special edition of environmental
SCIENTIST4 , edited by KTN’s Carolyn Roberts.
Practical action is beginning to explore these issues.
A review of end of life options for carbon fibre, bioderived plastics and additive manufacturing materials
is ongoing by Green Alliance, supported by the High
Value Manufacturing Catapult and Innovate UK. KTN
is a partner in the Critical Raw Material Closed Loop
Recovery project, which aims to ensure valuable
materials — essential for the latest technologies to
function — are recovered at end of life. In 2015,
KTN partnered with the High Speed Sustainable
Manufacturing Institute to explore options for the
recovery of novel propulsion systems at end of life.
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Waste in the context of a
circular economy
Waste products and materials present a very visible
manifestation of the linear or take-make-dispose
economy. Processes to treat waste and put it back
into productive use have a role to play in delivering a
more circular economy. However, it is important to
place treatment of waste in the context of the wider
circular economy and waste hierarchy models. Efforts
should primarily focus on eliminating waste in the
first place. The greatest economic and environmental
benefits can be achieved through improved resource
efficiency in production processes or keeping products
in productive use for longer. End of life considerations
should be built into the product/material design and
innovation process at the earliest possible stage.
Energy-from-waste should be the option of last resort
after all valuable materials have been salvaged.
5
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Contributions and
acknowledgements
On 14 January 2016, KTN brought together 80
stakeholders from across the waste supply chain,
representing industry, academia and NGOs. Their
inputs and expertise formed the basis of this
report, which has been built on through further
discussions with leading experts. KTN would like to
thank participants from stakeholder organisations
who attended the workshop for their valuable
contributions and insights, which are represented
within this report.
Report structure
The findings of this investigation are structured as
follows: context, barriers to innovation and innovation
opportunities. These topics are discussed against four
sector groups:ii
yy Infrastructure systems: transport, energy, urban
living and the built environment
yy Manufacturing, reprocessing and materials
yy Emerging and enabling technologies: digital,
satellite applications, design and creative
economy, emerging technologies and industries,
robotics and autonomous systems, electronics,
sensors, photonics
yy Health, agri-food and life sciences
Construction waste streams
ii The sector groups chosen broadly map to the Innovate UK 2016-17
Delivery Plan. The reprocessing sector has been explicitly included as part of
the manufacturing and materials sector in this report, given the central role of
reprocessing in the valorisation of waste.
6
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS:
Transport, energy, urban living and the built environment
Context
yy Huge volumes of materials are involved in building, operating and decommissioning infrastructure systems. The UK
construction industry generates the largest amounts of waste of any sector. Recycling rates are at 90%,5 although
much is downcycled into lower value materials.
yy Rapid urbanisation is driving a focus on management of resources at the city level, increasing convergence between
the smart cities agenda and circular economy initiatives.
yy Technology development in energy production, transport and storage and transportation systems are increasing the
use of novel materials (e.g. new battery technologies, permanent magnet materials), which will ultimately end up as
novel waste streams.
yy There is a rapidly growing global trade in waste, which is transported over increasing distances. Volumes of wastederived fuel exports have risen from 0 tonnes in 2008 to 887,465 tonnes exported from England and Wales in 2012.6
Barriers to innovation
yy Challenges obtaining certification of novel or reused products and materials. Very highly regulated sectors with
conservative specifiers and issues obtaining insurance when adopting new products/technologies.
yy Geographical mismatch between supply (of waste materials) and demand, compounded by high costs of transport.
yy Increasing use of materials that present reprocessing challenges at end of life, for example multi-material products
such as polystyrene-insulated construction blocks.
yy Low value and/or lack of markets for reprocessed materials.
Innovation opportunities
yy Offsite construction will significantly reduce waste in the construction process, providing opportunities to implement
modern manufacturing resource efficiency methods in the construction sector.
yy Buildings as ‘material banks’: the ability of information management systems, BIM (Building Information Modelling)
and product passports to map products and materials within a building over a lifecycle could enable value capture.
yy Transition from national grid to micro-grid and the delivery of a renewable energy infrastructure presents multiple
innovation opportunities as well as significant resource implications, including increased reliance on critical raw
materials.
yy Decommissioning of infrastructure e.g. North Sea oilrigs and first generation wind installations provide recycling and
reuse opportunities with secondary domestic and international markets.
yy Novel systems could make use of under-utilised transport capacity (reverse logistics) to unlock viable business models
for reprocessing.
yy The role of water in the developing circular economy will include the valorisation of inorganic content (e.g. phosphate,
nitrate) and organic content (sludge), the recovery of low-grade heat in wastewater and potentially the recovery of
water itself under certain conditions.
7
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
MANUFACTURING, REPROCESSING AND MATERIALS
Context
yy The UK has global leadership in product design, service delivery and advanced material development. UK
manufacturing is strong, with the UK currently the 11th largest manufacturing nation in the world. Manufacturing
makes up 11% of UK GVA, 44% of UK exports and directly employs 2.6m people.7
yy Productivity is a continuing concern for UK Manufacturing. The average manufacturer now spends five times more
on non-labour costs than on labour costs.8 The focus for targeted improvements should be on resource productivity,
which can be realised through circular economy approaches.
yy The UK core waste and recycling sector estimate of GVA was £6.8bn in 2013.9 Waste disposal costs are increasing
(landfill tax alone is now £84.40 per tonne) and there are limited disposal routes.
yy Technology development in energy production, transport and storage, bio-based materials, composites, embedded
electronics, additive manufacturing and transportation systems are increasing the use of novel materials (e.g. new
battery technologies, permanent magnet materials), which will ultimately end up as novel waste streams.
yy The environmental impact of materials is of increasing concern, for example marine plastic litter and microplastics in
the environment.
Barriers to innovation
yy Weak information flow along supply chains.
yy Lack of visibility of potential resource availability issues.
yy Low value and/or lack of markets for reprocessed materials and the dynamic/unpredictable nature of waste streams.
yy Lack of systems and established business models to get dissipated products, components and materials back for
manufacturers and retailers.
yy Technology lock-in due to existing manufacturing and reprocessing infrastructure (including energy from waste).
yy Consumer behaviour and education.
yy Lack of standards (and therefore lack of market confidence) in new products from waste
yy Sorting/separation is a significant barrier for mixed waste streams such as textiles and some chemical waste streams.
yy Regulation, for example formal designation as ‘waste’, can limit transport and reuse options.
8
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Innovation opportunities
yy Developing technologies today for reprocessing and remanufacturing the waste streams of tomorrow (e.g.
composites, fuel cells, bioplastics and magnetic materials) could give the UK a first-to-market advantage. Performance
evaluation of reprocessed novel materials to enable these materials to find secondary markets is essential. Use of
waste materials as feedstocks for high-performance materials — even closed-loop models — instead of predominantly
low-grade materials could add significant value.
yy New materials information databases detailing the properties of recycled materials could provide confidence to
those specifying recycled materials in their products. Innovative solutions are required to allow reprocessors and
manufacturers to manage the variable nature of waste feedstocks.
yy Embedded sensor technologies will facilitate the identification, tracking and sorting of materials and products.
yy Active disassembly to recover valuable components from products could be facilitated by reversible adhesives and
switchable materials.
yy Novel bio-based, bio-inspired and biodegradable packaging materials will be developed. Novel chemical and industrial
biotechnological routes could convert CO2 and other waste gases available in concentrated form from industrial
processes into higher value chemical products
yy Chemical technologies will be developed for reprocessing waste such as depolymerisation or the use of supercritical
water for the transformation of polymeric organic wastes into more valuable low molecular weight units.
yy Condition-based maintenance (replacement of failing components prior to asset failure) will minimise downtime in
waste treatment plants and other production processes.
yy Redistributed/localised waste processing will minimise the transport of waste and allow individual consumers or
communities to be responsible for and exploit the benefits of their waste.
yy More innovative collection schemes are required to get products and materials back for reprocessing or
remanufacture.
yy Robotics/automation (see, for example, Apple’s robotic disassembly of iPhones) and photonics (near-infrared, midinfrared, laser and machine vision) will provide opportunities for increasing productivity in waste sorting, separation,
composition monitoring and processing.
Chemicals, materials and textiles waste streams
9
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Case study:
Roundtable discussion on carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is produced as a by-product (‘waste’) of numerous industrial processes and as a consequence of
burning fuels. Significant research efforts are already underway to try to capture this greenhouse gas and turn
it into higher value products, including chemicals, synthetic fuels and building materials.10 So where are the key
innovation challenges and opportunities for valorisation in the UK?
A cross-sector group of industry and waste experts were asked to explore this topic. A summary of the main
discussion points is provided below:
yy Carbon dioxide valorisation opportunities exist around industry clusters that have an abundant supply of
carbon dioxide. The cluster around Teesside was provided as an example.
yy Research and investigation is required to explore the commercial feasibility and niche market opportunities
within regional industrial clusters to valorise carbon dioxide. The first opportunities may lie where the carbon
of carbon dioxide is considered as part of a circular economy and where access to renewable energy may
help lower the energy demand (and costs) to utilise carbon dioxide.
yy The cement and steel industries were singled out as sectors that are significant producers of carbon dioxide
and are in need of economically viable solutions to valorise their waste carbon dioxide.
10
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
EMERGING AND ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES:
Digital, satellite applications, design and creative economy, emerging technologies and
industries, robotics and autonomous systems, electronics, sensors, photonics
Context
yy The UK has leadership in the creative, design and digital sectors.
yy The number of connected devices is expected to grow to 25–50bn by 2020, from around 10bn today.11
yy Data production will be 44 times greater in 2020 than it was in 2009.12 There is an ongoing search for opportunities
to commercialise data — some data needs to find a use.
yy The use of satellites for observation is increasing, with satellite infrastructure also looking for markets for its
measurements.
yy A growing ecosystem of drone software and hardware vendors is already catering to clients in agriculture, land
management, energy, and construction.
Barriers to innovation
yy Increasing complexity and miniaturization of products presents end of life challenges.
yy The pace of evolution of products is outstripping the pace of development of recovery technologies and fuelling
throwaway societal behaviours.
yy Increasing use of personal data is fuelling data security concerns.
yy Lack of interoperability of intelligent assets and IoT (Internet of Things) networks is hampering rollout.
Innovation opportunities
yy IoT (Internet of Things) data on location has the potential to make viable for the first time digital marketplaces for
locally supplied waste products and materials.
yy Digital tools, such as exchange platforms, become as important as physical tools when it comes to determining and
steering asset flows. Product passports will embed product information such as provenance and the composition of
products through the supply chain and their condition throughout their lifecycle, allowing multiple useful lives.
yy Implanted sensors will enable organisations to use big data methods to better understand their material flows.
yy Automation will play an increasing role in waste processing (particularly hazardous waste) and in remanufacturing.
yy The commercial risk posed by space junk will need to be mitigated — we cannot economically get satellites back to
earth and the debris poses a risk to functioning assets.
yy Embedded sensor technologies will facilitate the identification, tracking and sorting of materials and products.
Increasingly barcodes or QR codes (Quick Response codes) will embed more information about product composition
(product passports), allowing better product labelling.
11
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
HEALTH, AGRI-FOOD AND LIFE SCIENCES
Context
yy The entire agri-food supply chain, from agriculture to final retailing and catering, is estimated to contribute £96bn
or 7% of UK GVA.13 Renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bio-based products and
bioenergy, interconnecting supply chains in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food, pulp and paper are described as the
bioeconomy. The value of the bioeconomy is currently estimated to be worth £36bn in direct contribution and £150bn
GVA.14 The UK has a strong chemicals sector, pharmaceutical industry and leadership in industrial biotechnology.
yy The UK’s population is increasing and ageing, producing rising demand for food and medical products and services.
Significant healthcare trends include a shift towards performance-based outcomes in healthcare provision, care in
the community and home (with increasing use of point-of-care diagnostics) and precision medicine. These trends will
change both the types of waste produced and routes of waste disposal.
yy The impacts of climate change are likely to have profound effects on human health15 and agri-food systems. Complex
system interconnections and interdependencies affect the production of physical and natural resources: the food–
land–resources–water–energy nexus.
yy At least 14m tonnes of bio-based residues are produced from crops and forestry sources each year.16 Food waste is a
significant issue, with approximately 30% of food produced being wasted. In the healthcare sector, the UK produces
more waste per hospital patient compared to France and Germany. The total cost of waste disposal for the NHS in
2011/12 was £90m, the majority of which is associated with single-use items such as syringes and gloves.17
Barriers to innovation
yy Very small margins in the agri-food supply chain leave limited resources to fund innovation. New regulations
(for example EU pesticides regulation) significantly increase the cost of innovation, especially in the area of crop
protection.
yy Seasonal nature of food production and high heterogeneity of bio-waste.
yy Biosecurity issues for some waste feedstocks including seafood, fishery and crab shell waste, chicken litter and
manure.
yy Classification as ‘waste’ or ‘co-products’ can prevent reuse/reprocessing and often drives use into energy instead of
higher value options.
yy Legislation and lack of collection infrastructure hamper the re-use of waste food, particularly from supermarkets.
yy Lack of high value end-markets for waste-derived products, compounded by lack of consumer acceptance of
products, particularly those derived from animal by-products.
yy Significant institutional and funding-related barriers to innovation in the health service. It is difficult to prioritise waste
innovation against a backdrop of major cost constraints and a lack of clear legal or financial drivers.
yy Culture of disposal endemic to health service — driven by safety concerns. It is likely there is a tendency for the
precautionary principle to cause staff to dispose of healthcare waste more carefully than is required.
yy Disposal of increasingly sophisticated products (e.g. camera pills) through municipal routes due to increasing care in
the community and wearable diagnostics.
yy Diagnostic or therapeutic devices combine increasingly complex material combinations (e.g. dressings, encapsulation,
sensors, electronics and power supplies) that are difficult to disassemble and recycle.
yy Long-term collection contracts (25 years) for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in some areas prevent separation of the
biogenic fraction.
yy Lack of skills in integrating biotechnology and engineering and a lack of integration of supply chains with biorefineries.
12
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Innovation opportunities
yy The waste-to-bioeconomy transition will deliver increased valorisation of organic waste and the production of
bio-derived products. High-value products will be generated from green chemistry, bioprocesses, industrial
biotechnology, catalysis and CO2 utilisation. Novel bio-based, bio-inspired and biodegradable packaging materials will
be developed.
yy Improved crop breeding and genetic modification could increase crop yield and reduce the use of water, fertilisers and
crop protection chemicals.
yy Automation, robotics and the precise use of inputs (e.g. fertiliser and pesticide) could improve resource efficiency in
agriculture. Nutrient cycling could reduce dependence on — and the environmental impacts of — fertilizer products.
Development and adoption of bio-control measures could reduce reliance on agrochemicals. Better field draining
systems or collection systems could reduce run-off of nitrogen and phosphorus.
yy Analysing and sharing data from farms and across the supply chains could identify opportunities to save, share or
focus resources.
yy New generations of agricultural machinery and robotics could enable the separation of crops/biomass in the field or
the harvesting of biomass, which is currently left in the field. Improved co-collection/on-field sorting of crops and
crop waste (straw, leaves, stalks etc.) would avoid the requirement for two separate passes over one field.
yy New imaging and sensing technologies could be a solution for the sorting and separation of sub-components in
agricultural and food waste.
yy Innovative solutions are required to allow reprocessors and manufacturers to manage the variable nature of waste
feedstocks. Developing predictive tools for by-product quality and the stabilization of waste could contribute.
yy Future waste streams such as by-products from the production of protein from insects will generate new valorisation
opportunities. There is also still plenty of scope for improved valorisation of existing bio-waste streams such as
manure and paper. Co-products from paper production could be used for the production of lignin. Developments in
biotechnology could allow a wider range of sugars to be suitable feedstocks in biofuel production. Waste gas waste
streams from manure and other biological transformations can potentially be valorised.
yy Health-derived waste streams are currently underexploited due to biohazard concerns but in some cases are sourceseparated, high quality materials that, if treated appropriately, could be reprocessed.
yy Improved technologies are required for co-processing packaging and food waste (e.g. compostable/biodegradable
packaging).
yy Centralised de-packaging facilities could allow for a better separation and sorting of packaging materials, which could
increase the rate of recovery.
yy Biomass could be used to clean water and valorise inorganic (e.g. phosphate, nitrate) and organic (sludge) content in
waste water.
Agriculture and food waste streams
Health waste streams
13
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Case Study:
Innovation potential in paper recycling
HEAT & ENERGY
CO 2
1
2
CLEAN PAPER
COLLECTION
& SORTING
DUST
3
AD
4
5
LANDFILL
6
PAPER MIXED
WITH FOOD, GLASS,
SLUDGE
& PACKAGING
Figure 1. Current situation in paper recycling industry
The paper is sorted into clean (navy arrow) and mixed paper (purple arrow). The mixed paper is
incinerated. The clean paper is processed into 6 grades. This process produces paper dust as a byproduct, which is sent to landfill. 85% of the paper collected is recycled. The rest is either transformed
into toilet paper (or similar - blue arrow), incinerated or sent to anaerobic digestion (AD), which
supplies energy and heat back to the recycling plant (orange arrow). All the process water used by this
process is contaminated with carbon containing materials and therefore cannot be re-used.
14
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
HEAT & ENERGY
CO 2
1. SORTING
TECHNOLOGY
2. NEW PROCESS
TO REDUCE DUST
1
HIGH VALUE
CHEMICALS
& MATERIALS
4. EXTRACT CARBON
CONTAININGWASTE.
TO BE USED BY
BIO-BASED INDUSTRY
AS FEEDSTOCK
2
CLEAN PAPER
COLLECTION
& SORTING
6. WASTE
VALORISATION
DUST
3. TOOLS TO
SUPPORT
DECISION
MAKING
5. RENEWABLE
FEEDSTOCK
FOR BIO-BASED
INDUSTRIES
3
AD
4
5
WATER REMEDIATION
6
PAPER MIXED
WITH FOOD, GLASS,
SLUDGE
& PACKAGING
HIGH VALUE
CHEMICALS
& MATERIALS
Figure 2. Paper recycling circular model
Green boxes represent areas of innovation and green arrows represent changes to the current situation or new
connections (industrial symbiosis).
1. Innovation in collection and sorting to reduce the amount of mixed paper.
2. Innovations in extraction methodology to reduce the amount of dust produced and optimise the process.
3. Innovation in measurement technologies that will help decision making on sorting material.
4. Innovation in extraction of carbon-containing waste in residual water and waste gases (CO2). These two
feedstocks could be used by biotech companies as a renewable raw material to produce bio-based chemical
building blocks and/or materials (Industrial Symbiosis).
5. New collection method for dust produced in the processing to be used as feedstock by bio-based industries
(industrial symbiosis).
6. Valorisation of current waste used by anaerobic digestion (AD) plants to avoid burning biomass that can be
transformed into high value chemicals and materials (industrial symbiosis).
15
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Case Study:
Barriers for innovation in the utilization of waste from the agri-food sector
At least 14m tonnes of bio-based residues are produced in the UK from crops and forestry sources each year18
The UK food and drink sector alone produces around 15m tonnes of waste per year.19 There is a strong UK
research base underpinning the development of new technologies that can help to valorise these waste streams.
The UK industrial biotechnology sector consists of a core group of 121 companies that generate £600m in
turnover; many other sectors could benefit from new agri-food feedstocks.20
There is a real opportunity for the UK and for our businesses to develop and harness new processes and business
models and to valorise agri-food waste feedstocks. So what are key barriers in the utilisation of waste from the
agri-food sector?
A cross-sector group of industry and waste experts were asked to explore this topic. A summary of the main
discussion points is provided below:
yy There are a lot of knowledge gaps about the waste streams which need better characterisation and mapping
to direct waste streams to high value markets.
yy Regulation is often seen as a barrier for re-using waste products for new applications, as for example, in
some cases, the Environment Agency’s environmental permitting for waste preventing re-use of some
materials because they are classified as “waste”.
yy Biosecurity issues were highlighted for some waste streams, such as seafood waste, and chicken litter. More
research and development is required to make these feedstocks “safe” for re-use.
yy There are issues with collection of crop waste (straw, leaves, stalks, etc), as waste needs to be collected
separately from sellable output, and often from large areas.
yy Some barriers exist along the supply chain preventing reprocessing, as for example with food waste from
supermarkets, which requires de-packaging before reprocessing. Innovation in packaging design and
materials is needed to avoid contamination, and to allow processing of food waste together with packaging
(i.e. use of compostable and biodegradable packaging).
yy And finally, customer perceptions often represent a barrier for re-use, as for example with odd-shaped
vegetables and fruits, which could be made attractive to customers through developing new market
opportunities such as fruit and vegetable packs for smoothies and soups.
16
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Conclusions and next steps
The purpose of this investigation was to assess the
opportunity for innovation to support the waste-toresource transition. KTN’s aim was to identify areas
where technological and commercial innovation
could transform the management of waste to deliver
improved economic and environmental outcomes.
The response from industry stakeholders to this
investigation clearly indicated there is economic
potential for the valorisation of industrial waste into
high value chemicals, materials and products. KTN
examined the full waste valorisation supply chain
from the point of generation to manufacture into
new products. Industrial and commercial processes
generate a complex array of different waste streams,
most of which do have potential to be exploited
differently in order to capture additional value.
There is potential for both technological and
commercial innovation in waste valorisation to
add value to the UK economy. Particularly when
developing technologies to treat waste streams of the
future, there is potential for the UK to gain first-mover
advantage, taking novel processes to market and
capturing a share of a nascent infrastructure.
Any public or private financing for waste valorisation
needs to bear in mind the prioritisation provided
by the waste hierarchy. The greatest economic and
environmental benefits can be achieved through
improved resource efficiency in production processes
or keeping products in productive use for longer.
In order for the UK to capitalise on the opportunities
for growth through the development of new
processes, technologies and services, public and
private financing for innovation will need to be
stimulated. Innovate UK has recently published their
2016/17 Delivery Plan21 detailing upcoming funding
competitions for the current financial year.
This report identifies a long list of innovation
opportunities that have the potential to be exploited
by UK companies. KTN hopes that the content in this
report will help companies to identify opportunities
for innovation and to stimulate ideas for technology
development. KTN will continue to work with UK
companies to exploit these opportunities, accelerating
the UK’s transition to a resource-efficient and resilient
economy.
Contact
NAME: Catherine
Joce, Circular Economy Lead
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEB: www.ktn-uk.org
17
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Scoping Workshop Participants
NAMECOMPANYNAMECOMPANY
IanArcher
IBioIC
JamesIlsley
OPEC
YvonneArmitage
KTN
Stella
Composites UK
Katy
Armstrong
University of Sheffield
CatherineJoce
KTN
Narinder
Bains
SERE Tech Innovation Ltd
VictoriaKerr
Dunbia
Health & Safety Laboratory
Health and Safety Executive (Laboratory)
SimonBaty
KTN
Stephen Kinghorn-Perry
Ruth
BAM Construction
Pawel
Kisielewski
CCm Research
BBSRC
Mike
Lancaster
Chemical Industries Association
Swansea University
Sheryl Lee
Manchester Metropolitan University
Andigestion
Mark
Lewis
Tees Valley Unlimited
BrianBone
MIRO
Jiggy
Lloyd
Adviser - Tarmac
Maurice
Lodge Cottrell
Stuart
Maclachlan
Lucideon Ltd
Delphine
Bard
Beavers
CharlotteBell
Katie
Beverley
EdgarBlanco
Bottomley
LisBroome KTN
PeterMaddox
Alan
Burbidge
University of Nottingham
EdMarshall Plaxica
Jo
Carpenter
University of Brighton
Pete
Metcalf
Wilson Bio-Chemical
Tradebe
Alex Miles
Enerkem
MattChapman KTN
Nichola
Mundy
Axion Consulting
PeterClark
KTN
Selwyn Owen
Beacon, Aberystwyth University
Innovate UK
DerekPedley
Pinas-FernandezKTN
Qureshi LauraCarter
Nick
Cliffe
WRAP
KTN
John
Cloughley
E4 Structures
Aurora
Rebecca
Colley-Jones
Bangor University
Ejaz
Olwen
Cox
Fiberight Ltd
AlistairReid
AkzoNobel
Mark
Crooks
Mantec Technical Ceramics Ltd
HelenRogerson
STFC
Biorenewables Development Centre
David
Russell
DPR R&D Ltd
The University of Manchester
Jhuma
Sadhukhan
University of Surrey
Business Doncaster DMBC
Marta Salva Cifuentes
Abel & Cole
SerazetdinovaKTN
Fabian Paul
Marysia
Deswarte
Dewick
Dubeck
University of Nottingham
Nicholas
Dummer
Cardiff University
Liliya
Iain
Ferguson
The Co-operative Food
ClaireShrewsbury WRAP
Alex
Forrest
Eunomia Research & Consulting
Radim
AndrewGoddard
Viridor
MargaretSmallwood
BioVale
Maurice
Golden
Zero Waste Scotland
Martin
Snaith
Augean PLC
Merlin
Goldman
Innovate UK
Richard
Stansfield
Singleton Birch Limited
Recycling Technologies
Pete
Stirling
Stirling Dynamics Ltd
Axion Recycling
Dinos
Stogias
Campden BRI
The Business Growth Hub
Catherine Sweeney
H2 Energy Limited
Manchester Metropolitan University
Ellen
Singleton Birch Limited
CCm Research
KarenTaylor
Ultromex
Syngas Products
Richard
Thompson
Carbon Action Ltd
AdrianHigson
NNFCC
David
Tyler
Manchester Metropolitan University
Darren
C-Tech Innovation Ltd
Isabella
Van Damme
Mars Chocolate
WRAP
Anne
Velenturf
4Innovation Research & Consultancy
Adrian
Sam
Vicky
Nicholas
Peter
Mark
Griffiths
Haig
Hall
Hall
Hammond
Harradine
Hill
JulieHill
Skapa
Tatterton
Lucideon Ltd
Ian
Holmes
Innovate UK
JaneWestwell FoodWasteNet
Bill
Hopkins
Revaluetech Ltd
Grant
Wilson
University of Sheffield
A&R House (BCL) Ltd
Jon
Wood
Innovate UK
Marks and Spencer
Adnan
Zeb-Khan
Globe Environmental Consultancy Ltd
Alistair
Tim
18
Job
House
Hoyle
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE
REFERENCES
1.
Delivering Sustainable Growth - How the Resource and Waste Management Industry Benefits People, the Environment and the Economy, Environmental Services Association, 2016, http://www.esauk.org/reports_press_releases/esa_reports/20160510_Delivering_Sustainable_Growth.pdf
2.
UK Resource Efficiency & Waste Management Market Report, 2014, i2i Events, http://www.rwmexhibition.com/files/rwm_market_report_2014v3.pdf
3. UK Statistics on waste, DEFRA, 2015,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487916/UK_Statistics_on_Waste_statistical_notice_15_12_2015_update_
f2.pdf
4.
New Materials and the Circular Economy, Environmental Scientist, 2015,
https://www.the-ies.org/sites/default/files/journals/ES_March2015_new-materials.pdf
5.
Demolition Refurbishment Information Data Sheets, National Federation of Demolition Contractors,
http://nfdc-drids.com/page/about-us.html
6.
Exporting Opportunity? Putting UK Waste To Work At Home and Abroad, APSRG, 2012,
http://www.policyconnect.org.uk/apsrg/sites/site_apsrg/files/report/375/fieldreportdownload/apsrgreport-
exportingopportunitypdf.pdf
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UK Manufacturing Statistics, The Manufacturer,
http://www.themanufacturer.com/uk-manufacturing-statistics/
8.
Industrial Evolution Making British Manufacturing Sustainable, Manufacturing Commission, 2015,
http://www.policyconnect.org.uk/apmg/sites/site_apmg/files/industrial_evolution_final_single-paged.pdf
9.
Resource management: a catalyst for growth and productivity, DEFRA, 2015,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401453/resource-management-catalyst-growth-
productivity.pdf
10.
A Vision for Smart CO2 Transformation in Europe, SCOT, 2015,
http://www.scotproject.org/images/SCOT%20Vision.pdf
11.
Intelligent Assets: Unlocking the Circular Economy Potential, 2016, Ellen MacArthur Foundation,
http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/EllenMacArthurFoundation_Intelligent_Assets_080216-
AUDIO-E.pdf
12.
Big Data Universe Beginning to Explode, CSC,
http://www.csc.com/insights/flxwd/78931-big_data_universe_beginning_to_explode
13.
Defra food statistics pocketbook 2012, DEFRA, 2012,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/183302/foodpocketbook-2012edition-09apr2013.pdf
14.
BBSRC Delivery Plan 2016/17 - 2019/20, BBSRC, 2016,
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/documents/delivery-plan-2016-20-pdf/
15.
Health Climate Change Impacts Report Card 2015, NERC, 2015,
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/partnerships/lwec/products/report-cards/health/report-card/
16. Building a high value bioeconomy - Opportunities from waste, HM Government, 2015,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/408940/BIS-15-146_Bioeconomy_report_-_
opportunities_from_waste.pdf
17. Security of Materials and Opportunities for Innovation in the Medical Technology and Device Sector, Material Security Special Interest Group, 2014,
https://connect.innovateuk.org/documents/3005437/3745241/Security%20of%20Materials%20and%20Opportunities%20for%20Innovation%20in%20
the%20Medical%20Technology%20and%20Device%20Sector%20Report%20%E2%80%93%20March%202014?version=1.1
18. Building a high value bioeconomy - Opportunities from waste, HM Government, 2015,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/408940/BIS-15-146_Bioeconomy_report_-_
opportunities_from_waste.pdf
19.
WRAP website
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/all-sectors
20.
Strength and Opportunity 2013 The landscape of the medical technology, medical biotechnology, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/298819/bis-14-p90-strength-opportunity-2013.pdf
21. Innovate UK 2016/17 Delivery Plan, Innovate UK, 2016,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514838/CO300_Innovate_UK_Delivery_
Plan_2016_2017_WEB.pdf
19