UK Manufacturing Symbiosis Network Plus

How is it going so far in 2022? Here are some top trends in green manufacturing!

Top 8 Green Manufacturing Trends for 2022 The pandemic changes the manufacturing industry, especially those related to sustainability. Here are some green manufacturing trends for 2022.

According to United Nations, pollution from pesticides, plastics and electronic waste leads to at least 9 million premature deaths a year, with a constant violation of human rights. To put things in perspective, to date we had 6 million deaths due to Covid-19.

Pollution causing more deaths than COVID, action needed, says U.N. expert Pollution by states and companies is contributing to more deaths globally than COVID-19, a U.N. environmental report published on Tuesday said, calling for "immediate and ambitious action" to ban some toxic chemicals.

According to Circle Economy's latest report, a record 101.4 billion tonnes of virgin raw materials were used globally in 2021, with nations and businesses ignoring and failing to comply with climate specialists recommendations.

Report: Global resource use hit record high in 2021, despite pandemic slowdown A record 101.4 billion tonnes of virgin raw materials were used globally last year, with nations and corporates failing to cut resource use and improve reuse and recycling at the rate demanded by climate science.

The “mushroom leather” - made of mycelium, a material grown from fungi - can be engineered to look and feel like calfskin or sheepskin.

Californian firm touts ‘mushroom leather’ as sustainability gamechanger Vegan leather alternative isn’t just the hot fashion must-have – it could teach us about consumption and waste

Expert reactions and overview to COP26

COP26: experts react to the UN climate summit and Glasgow Pact Has the summit delivered on its goals?

“It is now 100 times more lucrative to mine gold from e-dumps than from the ground". Is this the Waste Age?

‘This is the age of waste’: the show about our throwaway addiction and how to cure it It is now 100 times more lucrative to mine gold from e-dumps than from the ground. Yet 70 years ago, we barely threw anything away at all. Can design change our disposable culture?

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It's worth checking the West Midlands Circular Economy Routemap, put together by the great team at West Midlands Combined Authority!

Creating a Circular Economy | West Midlands Combined Authority Traditionally our economy has worked in a linear way, where products and materials are made, used, and then thrown away.  

Are you ready for the World Circular Forum 2021 starting next week? Organised by the Gov Canada and Sitra, this online, free event brings together world’s leading game-changers in the circular economy.

The World Circular Economy Forum 2021 - WCEF2021 The World Circular Economy Forum 2021 September 13 to 15, 2021, hosted virtually in Canada It’s time to change the game. Co-organized by the Government of Canada and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and hosted for the first time in North America, the World Circular Economy Forum brings together f...

Great news for the Circular Economy community!

Ellen MacArthur to advise ministers on environment - BBC News The round-the-world yachtswoman is among the experts appointed to a new Scottish government committee.

Green Alliance shows that greater UK government ambition for an effective and expanded circular economy by 2035 has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country.
https://green-alliance.org.uk/resources/Levelling_up_through_circular_economy_jobs.pdf

You can now watch the recording of our webinar co-hosted by the DSM Network Plus project (Digitalised Surface Manufacturing): Digitalisation for Sustainable Manufacturing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8vBK0atVqA&ab_channel=DSMNetwork

Digitalisation for Sustainable Manufacturing- Joint Event- DSM+/UKMSN+ 21 July 2021 Jointly presented by UKMSN+ and DSM+ projects, the event is targeted at professionals with an interest in sustainable manufacturingAbout this eventIn contras...

Few days left until our webinar on Digitalisation and Sustainable Manufacturing, 21 July 2021, 10:00 - 12:00 am, co-organised with DSM Network

To secure your place, go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digitalisation-for-sustainable-manufacturing-tickets-162427273347

Key speakers:
- Prof. Allan Matthews, Professor of Surface Engineering and Tribology and Director / PI of DSM Network, The University of Manchester
- Dr Luciano Batista, Senior Lecturer in Operations Management and Director / PI of UKMSNPlus, Aston Business School
- Andy Whyle, Sustainability Specialist(S-AW) and Chair of IEMA Circular Economy Network Steering Group
- Prof. Adrian Murphy, Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast
- Mark Thompson, Managing Director, AceOn Group
- Joe Armstrong, International Sales, Polytec
- Kenny Maddock, Digital Manufacturing Manager, HSSMI

An interim solution to reduce carbon emissions from transport and manufacturing sectors: the adoption of a 4-day working week could shrink the UK’s annual carbon footprint by 127 tonnes of GHG emissions by 2025. Work-life balance would also be a win!

A Four-Day Work Week Might Reduce Emissions by 20%. Analysis shows that switching to a four-day work week by 2025 might help battle climate change by lowering emissions by over 20%, according to government and academic sources.

A reason to celebrate: A major research programme - National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) - funded by UK Research and Innovation, involving 34 universities and 200 industry partners has been launched to catalyse the UK’s shift to a circular economy

National circular economy research programme launches A major research programme encompassing 34 universities and 200 industry partners has been launched to catalyse the UK’s shift to a circular economy.

A group of global organizations among which Google, Microsoft and Dell Technologies, a group of experts and the WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development started the first private sector alliance for circular electronics.

https://waste-management-world.com/a/google-microsoft-dell-and-many-more-join-circular-electronics-partnership-cep

Google, Microsoft, Dell and many more join Circular Electronics Partnership (CEP) A group of global organizations, several experts and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) started the first private sector alliance for circular electronics.

Dispatches - Channel 4 investigation questions eco-friendly claims of incineration industry

Revealed: why hundreds of thousands of tonnes of recycling are going up in smoke Investigation questions eco-friendly claims of incineration industry

A great piece by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with McKinsey & Company discussing circular economy as a driving force for industry decarbonization. Check their stats!

Home - circular-economy-for-net-0-industry-transition After the power sector, heavy industry is the second-largest source of CO2​ emissions, accounting for 27 percent of all CO2​ emissions worldwide. Four materials – steel, cement, aluminium, and chemicals – are responsible for 60 percent of current industry emissions, a total of 7.1 Gt CO2​ ...

In attention of UK academics with an interest in Circular Economy and Sustainable Manufacturing:

We recorded last week's Q&A webinar for the UK Manufacturing Symbiosis Network Plus second Funding Call for Sectoral-Bridging Studies.
You can find out more about the call and watch the recording on our webpage: https://www.ukmsn.ac.uk/post/call-for-sectoral-bridging-studies

Project partners: Aston University | Aston Business School | Imperial College London | University of Exeter - International | University of Cambridge | The Open University
Funding body: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
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Call for Sectoral-Bridging Studies The UK Manufacturing Symbiosis NetworkPLus (UKMSN+) was set up to address the circular economy priority area in the EPSRC Manufacturing the Future programme. For this second round, £420k has been allocated to fund Sectorial-Bridging Feasibility Studies no longer than 16 months (must be completed by...

Solutions to tackle plastic pollution must match the scale at which the crisis exists.

Why efforts to curb plastic waste are failing | Greenbiz The global burden of plastic waste continues to escalate even to the point of requiring a redefinition of its sources and scale.

Industrial symbiosis is a key enabler of a circular economy and net-zero industry.

Peter Laybourn of International Synergies Ltd and the Chair of our Advisory Board published a great piece for the World Economic Forum

How symbiosis can help industrial clusters reach net-zero Industrial symbiosis can drive down emissions from industrial clusters while boosting wider economic growth and innovation. Here's how it works in practice

Start-up Aether is capturing harmful CO2 from the atmosphere to create the world’s first carbon-negative diamonds

This Startup Captures Harmful CO2 from the Atmosphere to Create the World’s First Carbon-Negative Diamonds In episode 91 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I speak with Ryan Shearman, co-founder of Aether Diamonds on capturing harmful CO2 from the atmosphere to create the world's first carbon-negative diamonds, alchemized from air.

UKMSNPlus invites proposals for Sectoral-Bridging Research linking several manufacturing sectors of the UK economy. For this round, £420k have been allocated to fund projects (of approx. 16 months) facilitating industrial symbiosis initiatives:
· Two studies in the area of ‘restorative / regenerative business models’; up to £80,000 per project
· A study in the area of ‘digital technologies and systems’; up to £130,000
· A study in the area of ‘materials science and engineering’; up to £130,000
Application deadline: 30th of April 2021

For more information go to: https://www.ukmsn.ac.uk/post/call-for-sectoral-bridging-studies

Call for Sectoral-Bridging Studies The UK Manufacturing Symbiosis NetworkPLus (UKMSN+) was set up to address the circular economy priority area in the EPSRC Manufacturing the Future programme. For this second round, £420k has been allocated to fund Sectorial-Bridging Feasibility Studies no longer than 16 months (must be completed by...

"Amsterdam’s ambition is to bring all 872,000 residents inside the doughnut, ensuring everyone has access to a good quality of life, but without putting more pressure on the planet than is sustainable."

Amsterdam Is Embracing a New Economic Theory to Help Save the Environment. Could It Replace Capitalism? It’s the first time a major city has attempted to put doughnut theory into action on a local level

22nd of Feb webinar discussing UK manufacturing and research on the road to Net Zero. The event is organised by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in collaboration with the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge, and with participation from Luciano Batista of UKMSNPlus to address industrial symbiosis.

UKMF: Net Zero Design and Make Workshop Join us and have your say on challenges relating to manufacturing and the role of research in the NetZero and “Build Back Better” agenda.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation defined five universal circular economy policy goals to provide a framework for national governments, cities and businesses to support the systemic change and the transition to circular economy.

Universal circular economy policy goals Our five universal circular economy policy goals provide a framework for national governments, cities and businesses to create a transition that fosters innovation and decouples growth from finite resource consumption and environmental degradation.

A circular future for the automotive industry is dependant on the following trends / transformations:
- high vehicle use models e.g. car share
- a network for collection, re-manufacturing and recycling centres
- the adoption of modular designs and low carbon circular materials from design stage.

Here's how the circular economy could forever change how cars are made | Greenbiz A circular future is not guaranteed for the auto industry. It depends on the rise of three simultaneous trends, one of which is high vehicle use models such as ride hailing.

It is cheaper and better for the planet

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A Reuters article on how COVID-19 trashed the recycling dream

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/health-coronavirus-plastic-recycling/

The Plastic Pandemic: COVID-19 trashed the recycling dream Recyclers struggle as oil world invests hundreds of billions to make new plastic

Sustainability is the way forward for start-ups (and not only) in 2021

Council Post: Why Startups Can't Afford To Ignore Sustainability In 2021 This is the moment for startups to embrace sustainability from the beginning — and for companies that have not yet considered their sustainability initiatives to start doing so.