Waste is gold that glitters: SEK 42 million for research on industrial waste
Much of today’s industrial waste is, in fact, gold that glitters. Therefore Mistra is issuing an application call for a new research programme focused on industrial waste: Mistra Closing the Loop. The purpose of this research is sustainable recovery of valuable resources from industrial waste. The investment will total SEK 42m over three years.
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‘Much of today’s industrial waste is, in fact, gold that glitters,’ says Britt-Inger Andersson, Director of Idea Development at Mistra. ‘With complex waste streams and a lack of technology, our situation is acute. We need efficient, functioning closed ecological loops with low environmental and health impacts. One requirement for this is that various stakeholders collaborate to a higher degree.’In Sweden and globally, consumption is rising. With it, waste flows from Swedish industry are growing. In striving for a sustainable society, we need not only to attain higher resource efficiency but also to change consumer behaviour and create new markets for recycled, ecofriendly materials and products.
Lars-Erik Liljelund, Mistra’s Executive Director, says: ‘Mistra’s assessment is that a major potential already exists for value-enhancing processing of residuals and waste from Swedish industry to yield chemicals, materials and products. But for this to become a reality, further research is needed on, for example, new technology for sorting complex waste streams.
‘We also need financial instruments to achieve a shift from waste disposal to materials recovery,’ Liljelund concludes.
The aims of Mistra’s investment are:
- To build knowledge of resource flows in society, explore policy instruments and develop innovative technological processes for value-enhancing processing of industrial residuals and waste to yield chemicals, materials and products
- To strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish industry through innovative ‘green’ technological and materials development and greater commercial exchange
- To reduce the environmental impact of industry in Sweden and globally.
