Researchers study how to reuse waste in creative, local ways

The “waste” we put outside in bins for kerbside collection isn’t really waste at all — it’s an assortment of resources that, with the right research and some creativity, could be used in new and beneficial ways.

At least, that’s what CLEMANCE says.

CLEMANCE, for “Clean Environment Management Centre,” is a programme run by the UK’s Teeside University. And the CLEMANCE has just been awarded £1.76 million in funding to research new ways to reuse domestic and business waste  and reduce the amount of material sent to landfill, which will also help cut carbon dioxide emissions.

With the new funds, CLEMANCE aims to work with 40 local organisations — including small and medium-sized businesses — to reduce waste to landfill and carbon emissions by 250,000 tonnes a year.

“Companies need to consider ways of re-using their waste,” said Christine Parry, who is based at CLEMANCE and works as project manager for the North East Industrial Symbiosis Project. “Legislation is constantly driving them in that direction and they are also facing increased landfill charges.”

She continued, “A growing number of materials are already banned from landfill, such as electrical items, tyres, liquids and gypsum with more due to be added. This will increase the pressure on companies to find alternative uses for their waste.”

Part of the CLEMANCE research effort will focus on ways to reduce waste that avoid the problems seen in the recyclables market after the global financial meltdown caused dramatic price drops.

“The study was prompted by the recent collapse in the market for recycled items, which could potentially give councils a major problem if they are unable to sell the collected materials,” said Kirk Bridgewood, senior practitioner with CLEMANCE. “In addition, there were stories about materials being stockpiled because no one wanted to buy.”

Bridgewood added, “We want to find out ways of making sure that does not happen again and we will also be looking at the amount of materials exported to places like China.”

Rather than shipping reusable materials overseas for processing, recycling programmes might work better locally, he said.

“We want to see if there are ways in which materials can be recycled in the North East of England instead. Plastics are a good example. There are companies in this area that could use discarded plastics as raw materials.”

Funding for the new research effort came from International Synergies Ltd., the European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness programme 2007-13 for North East England,and the Institute for Local Governance.