Katriona Baker

As we look forward to achieving the outcomes desired by #PPWR, this CEFLEX - A Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging post gives us insights into how we should be considering developing our flexible plastic recycling system. Pleased that Mura Technology is a data contributor to the advanced recycling study, and look forward to the final report being issued soon. And much more for us all to do to grow understanding in other sectors than packaging and automotive.

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Good vs. Bad EPR: The Essentials You Need to Know

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💻 Hydrogen: Implications for the Food and Drink Industry 💻 In the coming years, hydrogen will emerge as a primary fuel to replace natural gas. Advertised as a key solution for decarbonisation, hydrogen holds the promise of propelling industry towards Net Zero. However, this transition is not without its challenges. Despite its many benefits, there remains a lack of information on how this transition may be managed and the potential constraints it may introduce. On October 1st, I’ll be chairing a discussion with the The Food and Drink Federation to explore these challenges. As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, we aim to provide forward-thinking insights. We will focus on: 🌍 Graeme Precious Carbon Reporting: Impacts on carbon reporting schemes. 📃 Greg Altria Environmental Permitting: How Permitting Authorities may manage this transition. 💨 Ben Turner Air Quality: Challenges related to NOx emissions from combustion. Join us as we explore these topics. The webinar is free for members of the The Food and Drink Federation, but registration is required.

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🌍 If you are a Top 20 Polluter, not all hope is lost. You can act now🌱* If your business model relies on combustion, then this post is for you. Thanks to Richard (Rick) Heede and Michael Mann for this instructive article. Calling all oil and gas companies, automakers, and diesel generator manufacturers! As industry leaders, you hold the power to drive change and shape a sustainable future. There are opportunities to step up and take action against climate change by investing in afforestation projects. 🌳 Why Afforestation? - Offset Emissions: Planting trees is one of the most effective ways to absorb CO2 and mitigate your carbon footprint. - Enhance Brand Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability can significantly boost your brand image and appeal to eco-conscious consumers. - Community Impact: Support communities domestically and abroad most affected by climate crisis by enhancing biodiversity while contributing to global environmental goals. 💚 Your Role Matters! Together, we can create a greener tomorrow. By investing in afforestation, you not only fulfill corporate social responsibilities but also pave the way for innovative solutions that align with global sustainability trends. 📩 Let’s Collaborate! Reach out to us to explore how we can partner in this vital initiative and amplify our collective impact.

New Environment Agency guidance today: “MCERTS: performance standard for long-term samplers of carbon dioxide For manufacturers of long-term samplers and test laboratories who carry out testing of equipment.” This has also been added as a link to the main #airquality landing page for EPR regulated sites. #environmentalpermitting #airemissions #compliance #MCERTS

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📢The SBT’s public consultation to inform our Chemicals Sector Guidance opens today. This is a key step in the development of guidance enabling the chemicals industry to set greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets aligned with 1.5°C. As outlined in our Standard Operating Procedure for the Development of SBTi Standards, all new SBTi projects must go through a two-stage public consultation process. The SBTi’s technical experts will analyze the results of this first public consultation and incorporate relevant feedback into a second draft of the guidance. A second public consultation will follow. The public consultation is open to all, and aims to gather input from a balanced and diverse group of stakeholders with knowledge or interest in chemicals sector decarbonization. If this includes you, we encourage you to contribute. 📅 The consultation ends July 15, 2024. 📢We are also seeking to expand our Expert Advisory Group (EAG) for the development of the Chemicals Sector Guidance. Experts from a variety of fields with deep understanding of global climate change mitigation and science-based target setting are invited to apply. 📅We will be accepting applications for the EAG until June 5, 2024 👉Head over to our website to respond to the public consultation and/or submit an expression of interest for the Expert Advisory Group: https://lnkd.in/ec5yrm-P #SBTiScaleup #sciencebasedtargets #ChemicalsSector

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With advisory support from #TeamGuidehouse, Science Based Targets initiative has opened their public consultation and call for experts to help shape the future of global climate change and advance the Chemicals Sector Project. Learn more about how our #GuidehouseExperts help global organizations reach their sustainability goals on their journey to net zero: https://lnkd.in/esSs_ZEb #Sustainability #ClimateAction #SBTi

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Check out my latest BLOG for SUEZ UK on all things #plastic - policy, performance and positive outcomes.... i take a closer look at the UN Global Plastics Treaty, UK packaging policy changes & increasing media coverage, highlighting the challenges and progress being made towards reducing plastic waste and improving recycling systems. Read the blog here: https://bit.ly/3WyiRWQ

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📺 Hydrogen: Implications for the Food and Drink Industry 📺 Pleased to have hosted a joint webinar by SLR Consulting and The Food and Drink Federation exploring the environmental and regulatory implications of hydrogen in the food and drink industry. In the coming years it will be the primary fuel to replace natural gas. Two-thirds of the fuels used in the food and drink sector comes from natural gas, and therefore represents a monumental opportunity for decarbonisation. The transition to hydrogen is underway, but operators are facing a lack of clear information to guide them. Here are some key takeaways from the session: 💨 Air Quality: - While hydrogen is cleaner, its higher combustion temperature results in increased thermal NOx emissions. - The goal is to align hydrogen emissions with natural gas Environmental Permitting ELVs (set by the IED and MCPD), ensuring no increase in mass NOx emissions. However, there is uncertainty about whether existing appliances can be retrofitted and what modifications may be required. - Despite NOx mass emissions remaining the same, hydrogen ELVs are likely to be higher to account for the lower standardised dry volume of gas (no CO2). - Hydrogen will alter process conditions (temperature and volumetric flow), affecting dispersion and potentially requiring additional assessments for permit variations (particularly for sensitive sites). - Dynamic ELVs will apply for hydrogen-natural gas blends, adding regulatory complexity as monitoring will need to consider the precise fuel mix. 🌄 Environment Permitting: - Changes in ELVs may require permit variations, though we are still awaiting formal guidance. - Permitting authorities are currently under pressure, with bespoke variations taking 1-2 years for approval. The hydrogen transition could add further delays. A risk-based or streamlined approach may be adopted to manage this workload. - Advice is to review your Permit and vary it at the earliest opportunity. 🌍 Carbon Emissions: - Hydrogen combustion emits zero CO2, meaning Scope 1 emissions are effectively eliminated, impacting CCA, ETS, and SECR (at present) reporting. Though blended fuels complicate matters. - The type of hydrogen production (fossil fuel-based or renewable) will influence Scope 3 emissions, making upstream carbon reporting complex, especially for suppliers facing increasing supply chain pressure. For a more detailed dive into the session, including the full webinar and slides, you can access the content here: https://lnkd.in/gjdxadvW  

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Top stories today (£) 💧 Half of all water companies are failing to meet water resource targets https://buff.ly/48hfwPV Half of all water companies are behind on their respective resource management targets, putting companies on the backfoot going into the next five-year period, regulators have said. Regulators wrote to seven companies - each in designated water-stressed regions - about their 2023-24 performance and called for immediate action to remedy “serious concerns”. ⛔ Suppliers ‘disincentivised’ to swap out old smart meter kit Current charging rules disincentivise suppliers from upgrading old smart meter communication hubs. Failing to urgently change the rules risks a delay to the planned 4G rollout, with around 7 million devices needing to be upgraded to stay online before the 2G and 3G networks are shut off in 2033. That is according to Smart DCC, which has warned that “if not resolved quickly [the issue] will result in significant disruption for consumers”. 🔍 CMA launches investigation into Iberdrola acquisition of ENW https://buff.ly/3C8ULJW An investigation has been launched by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into Iberdrola’s acquisition of Electricity North West (ENW). The competition watchdog said it has “reasonable grounds for suspecting” that the move will result in ENW and SP Energy Networks (SPEN) – also owned by Iberdrola – “ceasing to be distinct”. The CMA said it is additionally assessing whether the merger will result in the abuse of a dominant position and whether it will impact Ofgem’s ability to make comparisons between the energy networks it regulates.

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The challenges facing the chemical and energy sectors are not the same as they were in previous years. Pressure is growing for industrial businesses to improve their environmental performance, whilst making sure they: - Protect their licence to operate - Control costs to remain competitive - Maintain productivity to meet global demand - Ensure health and safety standards are upheld Balancing all of these factors can make it challenging to prioritise environmental performance. But it doesn't need to be difficult. Download the brochure below to discover the solutions helping to deliver ecological transformation in the energy and chemical sectors, and get an insight into what a partnership with Veolia UK could look like for your business: https://ow.ly/IRe250RiNtv #Chemical #Energy #Sustainability #EcologicalTransformation

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Exciting update for PFAS destruction. The USEPA’s latest guidance report highlights the mechanochemical destruction technology developed by Environmental Decontamination (NZ) Limited as an emerging solution for tackling real world PFAS challenges. We look forward to mobilising this destruction technology for PFAS!

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It was a great opportunity to discuss with the panel at #RWM2024 on 'Can Chemical Recycling Deliver a Circular Future?' alongside industry representatives Simone Aplin, Mark Sommerfeld, and Jamie Warmington. We explored how chemical recycling can help build a circular plastic economy, addressing key challenges such as energy consumption, emissions, and the need for supportive policy frameworks. The discussion highlighted the critical role that chemical recycling will play in the future of sustainable plastic waste management. Looking forward to seeing these innovations drive real change in the resource and waste industry. #CircularEconomy #PlasticRecycling #ChemicalRecycling #RWM #ESS

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Who's a Producer under E-Waste (M) Rules, 2022? According to the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, a Producer is defined as: 👉 A manufacturer who offers electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) under its own brand. 👉 A brand owner who offers assembled EEE produced by others. 👉An importer of EEE. 👉An importer of used EEE. To Know more about it fill our convenient Google Form for a free session. Link to google form: https://lnkd.in/gUsgt_ps Stay updated with the latest E-Waste regulations and ensure responsible disposal of electronic waste. #ewaste #ewastemanagement #environment #sustainability #producerresponsibility #electronics #technology

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💡Some interesting views on #EPR below. The analysis gets it mostly right. Particularly where to house profit making entities. 🙅‍♂️It may be semantics but I wouldn't describe voluntary EPR as "ineffective" though. Well-designed and well-managed schemes, like the Flexible #Plastic Fund and Podback (in the UK), are a great test-bed and precursor to mandatory systems. They certainly have a role to play. I'd describe voluntary EPR as a great start, but once stabilised, needing to be adapted into a mandatory system. I worry that the collateral damage of calling it "ineffective", in order to discourage international Governments from pursuing/accepting it, will be that brands stop funding and action ahead of mandatory schemes.

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In this webinar, hosted by Circular Ecology will introduce new, free to use, Organisational Carbon Footprint Tool.    This webinar will explain regulatory frameworks, organisational boundaries and offer a demonstration of new tool, showing how it can used to help measure and manage your organisations carbon footprint.  

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Integrating biogenetics into the waste industry offers transformative potential for addressing environmental challenges, from waste management to resource recovery. By harnessing genetically engineered organisms, we can break down waste more efficiently, recover valuable materials, and reduce pollution, positioning the UK as a global leader in sustainable innovation. Key Applications: Microbial Waste Degradation: Engineered microbes can accelerate the breakdown of organic waste in landfills, composting systems, and wastewater treatment plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting resource recovery. Plastic Degradation: Genetically modified bacteria can degrade plastics, providing a solution to plastic pollution in oceans and landfills, which traditional recycling processes struggle to manage. Waste-to-Biofuel: Using engineered organisms, organic waste like food scraps and agricultural residues can be converted into biofuels, contributing to renewable energy goals and creating a circular economy. Biomining: Biogenetic technologies can enable the recovery of valuable metals from electronic and industrial waste, reducing the need for harmful mining practices. Agricultural Waste: Genetically engineered microbes can convert agricultural waste into useful by-products, such as fertilizers or bioenergy, enhancing sustainability in farming practices. Leveraging Existing Infrastructure: The UK’s established waste management systems provide a foundation for integrating biogenetic technologies. Landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and composting facilities can incorporate genetically modified organisms to improve efficiency and recover energy. Partnerships between the waste industry, biotech companies, and research institutions will be key to driving innovation. By investing in biogenetic solutions for the waste industry, the UK can reduce environmental impact, create economic opportunities, and lead the global shift towards sustainable waste management, aligning with its green economy goals.

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