SBRI: Circular Economy Projects

2024

CIRCULAR

SBRI: CONTRACTS FOR INNOVATION

ECONOMY

Our contracts are designed to encourage businesses and researchers to collaborate, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. By providing funding and support. SBRI contracts empower businesses to explore new technologies and solutions that can have a significant impact on various industries. This not only stimulates economic growth but also drives advancements that benefit society as a whole.

SBRI SBRI funds the research and development of innovative solutions aimed at fulfilling unmet needs in healthcare, social care, and the broader public sector where existing market solutions are lacking. The primary goal is to enhance health and well-being in Wales and meet Net Zero objectives.

FIVE

PROJECTS SBRI is actively supporting all five ongoing Circular Economy projects. These projects are fully funded and strive towards routeto-market development. It is noteworthy that all businesses will maintain ownership of their intellectual property. SBRI offers comprehensive assistance throughout the project lifecycle,

encompassing application procedures and continuous support.

Moreover, SBRI extends complimentary project management services delivered by a seasoned team. Additional free services include mentoring, training, and bid writing support.

BIC INNOVATION A ground-breaking Circular Economy project aimed to repurpose the reoccurring waste stream of discarded mobility crutches, generated by the NHS in North Wales. Currently treated as single-use items, these crutches contribute to unnecessary waste. This collaborative effort involves BIC Innovation, Bangor University, AMRC Cymru, Care and Repair Gwynedd and Anglesey, and Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board. Students from Bangor University's product design course will develop innovative designs to transform crutches into new mobility aids. AMRC Cymru will assist in crafting efficient prototypes, ensuring they are sustainable and practical for largescale production. Care and Repair will handle the installation and testing of these prototypes in real-world scenarios, enhancing patient care and streamlining hospital discharge processes. This CE initiative not only reduces waste but also fosters innovation and improves healthcare services and efficiency in the region.

ELITE PAPER SOLUTIONS LTD Almost a quarter of NHS waste in Wales and England is plastic (BMA, 2022). The NHS Wales 2018/19 Carbon Footprint is around 1 million tonnes of CO2e, representing 2.6% of Wales's greenhouse gas emissions.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) generates 3,500 tonnes of waste annually: 2,500 tonnes are incinerated (costing £800,000), 60-70 tonnes go to landfill (costing £15-20,000), and 800 tonnes are recycled (costing £200,000). Currently, a multinational firm handles plastic collection and profits from sorting and selling it. The project aims to collect high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from CTMUHB, transport it to Pulse Plastics Ltd for repurposing, and supply it to various industries.

ELITE Paper Solutions is a social enterprise providing employment and training opportunities to local disabled and disadvantaged people. They will manage the collection and sorting of plastics.

The Project is a regional collaboration between ELITE Paper Solutions, CTMUHB and Pulse Plastics, creating full Circular Economy of products, previously viewed as waste.

NATURAL UK The Welsh Government aims for the public sector to be net zero by 2030.

In response NHS Wales can play a pivotal role in decarbonisation within its services. Generating 23,000 tonnes of waste annually (33% of which is single-use plastic clinical waste), plays a key role in this effort. Currently, this waste is incinerated or treated, losing valuable materials and incurring high economic and environmental costs.

Natural UK, a clinical waste management company in Carmarthenshire, and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board propose an innovative solution to treat, recover, and recycle this waste. Using microwave technology, the waste is pre-treated to render it safe, then processed to recover and recycle plastics into new products like clinical waste containers. The project aims to demonstrate that this solution, if scaled up, could provide a sustainable circular economy model, helping NHS Wales and local authorities achieve their net zero goals.

POLYTAG LTD Polytag Ltd revolutionises recycling transparency with its cutting-edge UV Tag technology and UV Barcode Readers. In Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), UV Barcode Readers are installed along plastic conveyors, creating a system for real-time tracking of recycled items. Brand owners collaborate with Polytag to apply UV Tags to packaging, meeting specified yet simple standards.

Equipped with UV light and smart cameras, the UV Barcode Reader scans and records information on tagged items, seamlessly transmitting data to the Polytag dashboard. This provides unprecedented visibility into the recycling process for stakeholders, enabling precise tracking of recycled items. Polytag's solution empowers the entire recycling ecosystem, fostering collaboration and incentivising responsible packaging practices.

By aligning with global sustainability goals, Polytag's technology offers an innovative tool to monitor and optimise recycling practices, reduce environmental impact, and enhance circular economy efforts. Partnering with councils like Conwy Borough County Council and the Isle of Anglesey County Council, Polytag aims to install UV Barcode Readers at facilities serving 190,000 residents, driving transparency and accountability in recycling.

REVOLUTION ZERO NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, and clinical teams explored reusable sterile surgical textiles' feasibility in a Cardiff operating theatre in March 2022.

Further SBRI-funded work in Cornwall during 2023 established the benefits of using these textiles. The approach could potentially save 1.2 million kg waste, 8,400 tonnes of CO2e, and £1 million annually across NHS Wales. This Revolution-ZERO All Wales circular surgical textiles programme will develop a playbook for scale-up and rollout across NHS Wales operating theatres.

Through testing and developing operational delivery across Aneurin Bevan, Swansea and Cardiff Health Boards, this project will seek to establish potential delivery models that might meet NHS Wales needs and a roadmap for NHS Wales Shared Services to rollout sterile surgical textiles across NHS Wales with private and/or government funding in place to install and staff processing units that will supply operating theatres. Establishing a circular economy system within Wales will provide social, environmental, clinical and economic benefits for decades to come.