The Advanced Materials Show 2019 presentation

1. Government supported opportunities
for working sustainably with plastics
Dr Sally Beken, KTN
UK Circular Plastics Network
Advanced Materials, July 10-11th, 2019

2. UK Research and Innovation: annual budgets
£6 billion
Up to
£6-7For every
£1 we’ve
invested
9 jobs
For each
organisation
involved

4. Policy Levers (Subject to consultation)
Extended
Producer
Responsibility
Single use plastic: banning the distribution
and/or sale of plastic straws, stirrers and
plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England
New tax on produced or
imported plastic packaging
that does not contain at least
30% recycled content
Deposit Return System (Beverage Containers)
Potential Investment
Plastics Research & Innovation Fund (£20M)
Date: 2018-2021
Research:
Plastics
‘Creativity’
funding (~£8M)
R&D:
Plastics Innovation
funding | Sky Ocean
Ventures Competition
& Investment Fund
(~£10M)
Leadership and
knowledge exchange:
Roadmap | UK Circular
Plastics Network |
WRAP Flagship
Projects (~£2M)
Commonwealth Marine Plastics Research
and Innovation Framework (£25M)
Date:2018-2022
Governance (Steering
Committee and Secretariat)
Existing Research and
Innovation
New R&I
Capacity Building
Gov’t Investment
& Policy towards
zero plastic waste
Future?
Future?
Committed
ISCF Wave 3 Smart Sustainable Plastic
Packaging: Towards Zero Waste Challenge
(Up to £60m ISCF + industry match)
Date: 2019-2023
Committed
Emerging Risks from
Microplastics in the Marine
Environment (Up to £3M)
Date: 2018 - 2022

5. ukcpn.co.uk
• Membership
free
• Free events
• Newsletter
• Funding alerts
• Landscape map
• Workshops (FSA)
@UKCPNetworkCombined community 2.5K

6. UKRI Investment - polymers
Approx. £140M across
Research Councils and
Innovate UK in last 3yrs.
0 20 40 60 80
AHRC
BBSRC
EPSRC
ESRC
Innovate UK
MRC
NERC
STFC
Bio plastic
Bio refinery
Catalysis
Ecological effects
Human behaviour
Human effects
New material
Plastic production
Recycling
Sustainable polymer
Waste - energy
Waste management
No. of awards

7. UKRI Investment
Approx. £140M across Research Councils & Innovate UK in the last 3 yrs.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Bio plastic
Bio refinery
Catalysis
Ecological effects
Human behaviour
Human effects
New material
Plastic production
Recycling
Sustainable polymer
Waste - energy
Waste management
AHRC
BBSRC
EPSRC
ESRC
Innovate UK
MRC
NERC
STFC
£0
£5
£10
£15
£20
£25
£30
Millions
Investment value by research area

8. Collaborative R&D - recent datavis.innovateuk.gov.uk

9. • BLUE CASTLE
In-cycle
Ltd
Plastics Research & Innovation Fund (£20M)
Date: 2018-2021

10. Naturbeads - Scale up of cellulose microbeads
production for the replacement of plastic
ingredients in personal care and cosmetic
products
Plastics Research & Innovation Fund (£20M)
Date: 2018-2021

11. Academic work - EPSRC
• Designing-out Plastic Waste (University College London): bacteria-based recycling
technology for plastics.
• Evolving a circular plastics economy (University of Hull): this seeks to develop
biodegradable biopolymers.
• RE3 – Rethinking Resources and Recycling (Manchester): graphene membrane filters
for the removal of micro-plastics in water and a chemical-method of recycling mixed
soft plastic.
• Exeter Multidisciplinary Plastics Research hub: ExeMPLaR (University of Exeter)
• UKRI Circular Economy Approaches to Eliminate Plastic Waste (University of
Cambridge)
• Advancing Creative Circular Economies for Plastics via Technological-Social Transitions
(Queen’s University of Belfast)
• Plastics: Redefining Single-Use (University of Sheffield)
• Holistic integration of technology, design and policy for a greener plastic future
(Imperial College London)
Research:
Plastics
‘Creativity’
funding (~£8M)

12. Future - New polymers, materials
BIO: PLA, Cellulose
Lignin
Bananas, milk,
seaweed…

13. New sorting / recycling processes / collection
BLUE CASTLE
pvc

14. Thermal, microwave, enzymatic….
New manufacturing processes
New recycling processes – chemical
FUTURE – Mechanical - Degradation mechanisms and food contact / safety

15. New designs

16. Drivers:
• Political, consumer and business willingness
• Many potential solutions
• Behaviour change
• Unintended consequences
• Government funding
• Defra Strategy
• Legislation, DRS
• Producer responsibility
• China waste ban
• Wrap Pact

17. Current/new Funding
• Smart Grants - £20m – closes 24th July
• Circular Economy Fund - £6.5m (Wales) £18m Zero Waste Scotland
• Wrap Plastics and Textiles Fund – closes 2nd August
• Birmingham Business Fund - £2.5K - £1million
• Alliance to End Plastic Waste- billions….
• Commonwealth Fund - BEIS
• Horizon2020 – new call 5/6 areas
• SSPP - £60m

18. Sustainable Smart
Plastic Packaging

19. How to apply
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/innovate-uk

20. Knowledge Transfer Network Sector expertise
Chemistry & IB
Materials
Agri-Food
Health
Manufacturing
European & International
Diversity
Design & Innovation
Access to Funding & Finance
KT Advisers
Communications
Events
Finance and Ops
Emerging Tech
Enabling Tech
Creative & Digital
Infrastructure
Transport
Complex Systems

21. KTN ToolKit
21
The Innovation
Canvas
Knowledge
Transfer
Partnerships
UK Circular
Plastics
Network
Infrastructure
Industry
Innovation
Platform
Good
Application
guide
Access to
Funding and
Finance
Medicines
Manufacturing
The Knowledge
Transfer Network
Food
Innovation
Network
4Manufacturing
UK Landscape
Sector Maps
SIGS

22. Upcoming Events:
10-11th July: Advanced Materials, TIC
11-12th Sept: RWM: NEC Birmingham
26th Sept: RECOUP, Peterborough
tbc October: Creative Industries, Somerset House
6th Nov: Re-use, The Studio, Birmingham
26th Nov: Chemistry/IB circularity, Manchester
18 Feb: Materials Research Exchange

23. ukcpn.co.uk
sally.beken@ktn-uk.org