The United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) recently announced five new centres as part of a £22-5 million government investment to explore how reusing waste materials in the textiles, construction, chemical and metal industries that could deliver huge environmental benefits. The interdisciplinary centres will help move the country towards a circular economy.
UKRI is a non-departmental public body of the UK government that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the department for business, energy and industrial strategy.The United Kingdom Research and Innovation recently announced five new centres as part of a £22-5 million government investment to explore how reusing waste materials in the textiles, construction, chemical and metal industries that could deliver huge environmental benefits. The interdisciplinary centres will help move the country towards a circular economy.#
The aim of the centres is to use fewer resources and reuse and recover products and materials instead of disposing of them after use.
Moving to a circular economy will provide significant benefits by reducing waste, lowering environmental impact of production and consumption in the United Kingdom and abroad, and creating opportunities for new UK industries, UKRI said in a press release.
The Interdisciplinary Textiles Circularity Centre led by the Royal College of Art aims to lessen the environmental impact of clothing in the country. It will use household waste and used textiles to develop new textiles instead of relying on imported materials.
The centre will lead research to turn post-consumer textiles, crop residues and household waste into renewable materials for use in textiles.
The emission levels caused by the UK’s textiles industry are almost as high as the total carbon dioxide emitted through people using cars for private trips.
The Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre for Mineral-based Construction Materials led by University College London, this centre aims to develop systems for more efficient use and recovery of mineral resources.
This will reduce UK construction minerals extraction by more than half a million tonnes per day, and reduce the generation of 154 million tonnes of mineral waste each year.
Energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “We want to further the UK’s status as a world-leader in finding green solutions to industrial challenges, and projects like these are excellent examples of placing manufacturers at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.”
ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)
marketing@alchempro.com
