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waste, agriculture, by-products, bioeconomy, science and technology

Turning waste into wealth evidence session

19 November 2013

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The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will on Tuesday 19 November, hear from industry experts on how the UK is geared up for transforming waste into higher value products.

The Committee is exploring the potential to create a multi-million pound economy from waste, using by-products from agriculture, industry and households. Next week’s evidence session will explore in more detail the state of UK technology and how it is enabling the transformation of waste into both low-value and high-value products.

In two sessions, the Committee will first take a look at the process of anaerobic digestion, and what its potential and its limitations are.

Witnesses

Tuesday 19 November, Committee Room 4

At 10.40am:

  • Dr Prab Mistry, Director and Consultant, Economic and Human Value (EHV) Engineering;
  • Dr David Nelson, Field Director, Branston Ltd; and
  • Mr Richard Barker, CEO, Biogen.

Likely questions

  • What are the advantages of using anaerobic digestion for disposal of bio-waste?
  • Which factors affect the economic viability of anaerobic digestion?
  • What would success look like and what needs to be done to make it happen?
  • What research and technology development is currently underway?

In the second session of the morning the Committee will hear how technology can lead to higher value products being generated from waste.

At 11.40am:

  • Professor Iain Hunter, Executive Dean of Science of Strathclyde University and Professor of Molecular Microbiology;
  • Dr Ian Fotheringham, Co-Founder and President, Ingenza Ltd; and
  • Dr Edward Green, Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor, Green Biologics.

Likely questions

  • What research is underway to enable waste to be transformed into high-value products?
  • What breakthrough technologies will emerge and over what timescale?
  • What can be done to accelerate progress and increase impact?
  • Are other countries ahead of us and if so, why?

Further information