UKRI will fund £8m to promote the development of smarter plastics that are greener, safer and more easily recyclable
The two competitions aim to transform plastic packaging and production. (Credit: PDPics from Pixabay)
The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has launched two new competitions to combat the scourge of global plastic waste.
The first of the two new competitions, named ‘Enabling Research’, aims to promote academic-led research and support the aims of the overall Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) challenge to make plastics greener.
The second competition allows academics and businesses to submit detailed information on their projects that adopt a lifecycle approach to plastics packaging. It will also assess the use of a material from its raw state, through to its transport, usage by consumers to end of life.
The competitions aim to transform plastic packaging and production
Backed by an £8m funding, the two competitions aim to develop smarter plastics that are greener, safer and more easily recyclable while transforming plastic packaging and production.
UK Science Minister Chris Skidmore said: “We have reached a critical point when it comes to saving our planet from the plague of plastic pollution. Tackling climate change is this government’s priority and we were the first major economy to legislate for net-zero emissions by 2050.
“The UKRI competitions will help further the development of greener plastics that are safe, clean and recyclable, transforming plastic packaging and production now and far into the future.”
The funding will also help researchers to develop innovative recycling systems that can manage increased volume of recyclable materials, as well as enable academics to assess package design impacts on consumer behaviour – which could help in designing and producing greener packaging.
Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging challenge director Paul Davidson said: “We will seek ways to ensure continued use of safe, clean and easily-recyclable plastic.
“This will boost productivity and prevent disruption to business and consumers. Industrial and academic cooperation is a vital part of this process to bring these ideas to market.”
A part of the SSPP challenge, the two new competitions follows on from two previous competitions announced in December 2019 that aimed to build prototypes for a new generation of plastic packaging.
In 2019, the UK government granted funding of £60m to lead the world in the development of sustainable packaging and reduce the impact of harmful plastics on the environment.