Goal #9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
In 1885, Alexander Parkes created the first man-made plastic in Birmingham by dissolving cellulose nitrate in alcohol and camphor containing ether.[1] Ever since, the UK has been at the forefront of innovation in the polymer industry, successfully exporting cutting-edge technology across the world.
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Plastic has enabled many industrial advancements in all sectors of the economy such as electronics, transport, construction, building, agriculture and the food and drink sectors. All of these economic sectors depend on plastics to deliver products, services and to offer infrastructure that makes modern life possible.
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The BPF is regularly informing member companies about business innovation grants available via Innovate UK and various European projects.[2]
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UK-based companies are worldwide leaders in the development of chemical recycling technology, putting innovation at the heart of end-of-life plastic solutions [3]
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Innovative plastic products such as portable water purifiers, which are designed to help the world’s poorest communities store and purify water, can help address some of the most pressing developmental needs.[4]
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Innovation in Recycling Technology is Key to Advancing the Sustainability of Plastics
Mechanical recycling involves the processing of waste material into new material without altering the chemical structure of the material. It has been established for a long time and over the years has seen improvements in the sustainability of the operation (i.e. energy efficiency improvements and technical advancements).
Chemical recycling is much newer than mechanical; it covers three main types of recycling, whereby a material is chemically broken down into a new raw material. Scaling up opportunities for chemical recycling in the UK brings many benefits for boosting the circularity of plastics and complementing already well-established mechanical recycling.
The four main types of chemical recycling are:
Pyrolysis
Also known as feedstock recycling, this technique for recycling is the heating of polymer at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen to produce hydrocarbon raw materials which can then be used for polymer manufacture.
Solvent Dissolution
This technique involves utilising a particular solvent to dissolve a given feedstock into polymeric raw material and it can result in a high purity recyclate with additives and impurities removed, as well as a low yield loss and fewer by-products than pyrolysis. The recyclate also has the potential for food contact applications.
Chemical Depolymerisation
This technique involves a process by which a polymer is converted into a monomer via a chemically aided route.
Gasification
This technique involves the partial oxidation of a polymer to produce ‘Syngas’ (a mixture of CO, CO2, H2 and CH3) through heating with an oxidising agent.
[1] http://www.historyofplastic.com/plastic-inventor/alexander-parkes/
[2] https://innovateuk.blog.gov.uk/2019/02/12/the-plastics-age/
[3] https://resource.co/article/new-all-plastic-recycling-facility-pipeline-swindon-13030
[4] https://www.bpf.co.uk/article/portable-water-device-designed-to-help-worlds-poorest-wins-pvc-1460.aspx
