A ‘groundbreaking’ partnership involving Heriot-Watt University is to see plastic PPE waste recycled into new products.
The university has teamed up with PPE manufacturer, Globus Group, on the project which aims to create a ‘robust’ circular economy for the waste.
As part of the initiative, Globus has implemented sustainable thermal heating technology at its Alpha Solway factory in Golborne in North West England. Developed by Thermal Compaction Group (TCG), the machine has been designed to heat and compact the plastic polypropylene into large, reusable blocks. These will be collected and processed, providing raw materials which Globus can use to make new PPE products – reducing the company’s PPE waste by an estimated 85%.
Dr Aimaro Sanna, an assistant professor in chemical and process engineering (EPS) at Heriot-Watt University, said, “We will be working closely with our commercial partner Globus Group to develop a bespoke process that will be applied to PPE plastic waste that cannot currently be recycled mechanically due to various technological, economic or ecological reasons. As the world strives to reduce its landfill, ocean impact and carbon emissions, this project is a significant step towards addressing the increased waste generated during the global pandemic.
“Initially the research will help to recycle over 100 tonnes of product generated by the manufacturing process every year – the equivalent to 10kg of waste every hour. However, our hope is that this new process will be adopted more widely. Many countries have been unable to process their plastic waste PPE properly. Our ground-breaking research aims to address these challenges providing an exemplar technique for application globally.”
Globus Group CEO, Haraldur Agustsson, added, “Placing environmentally green materials, technology, sustainability and recycling projects at the heart of our future strategy and investment is now key to our goals moving forward.”
Pete Lee, head of quality at Globus Group, commented, “As well as reducing our carbon footprint through European manufacturing, we are leading the way by investing in innovative production processes that are designed to reduce the use of single-use plastics. This machine is a fundamental part of our process to re-purpose and utilise waste material to achieve a circular economy. At Globus Group, we acknowledge our responsibility to the NHS, supporting it in delivering a ‘net zero’ sustainable future, and the long-term welfare of future generations. This technology will be a real game-changer in the way we tackle our PPE waste.”
