Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

Let s shape the future - University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university, with a very good international ranking. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20 000 students, conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future a future that you can help to shape. Antwerp is a vibrant historical human-scale city in the heart of Europe, with a rich offer of cultural and social activities.

The Sustainable Air, Energy and Water Technology Research Group in the Bioscience Engineering Department (Faculty of Science) is looking for a full-time (100%) PhD student in the field of environmental systems analysis in the food production chain and water cycle (LCA).

The Bioscience Engineering Department was created in 2006, recognizing a strong societal demand in this field, for instance linked to cleantech and environmental technology. In 2009, the Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology Research Group was founded, in which prof. Siegfried Vlaeminck launched the Microbial Cleantech and Systems Analysis Team, focusing on sustainable water cycling and food production chains. The team s mission is to develop clean biotechnological solutions and to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of novel treatment and production pipelines. Key domains include technology for nitrogen cycling, nitrification, anammox, single-cell protein (microbial protein), nutrient recovery, and quantitative sustainability assessments including life cycle assessment (LCA), material/substance flow analysis (MFA/SFA) and water network analyses. With a sustainable circular and bio-based economy as goal, the team also contributes to regenerative life support systems like MELiSSA, a necessity for long-term human space missions. The team is a core member of the Microbial Systems Technology Centre of Excellence, the Enviromics valorization consortium, the BlueApp innovation hub for sustainable chemistry, and CAPTURE platform for resource recovery and circular economy. The team is dynamic, international and embraces diversity.

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The University of Antwerp received the European Commission s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.

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PhD student Environmental systems analysis in the food production chain and water cycle (LCA) job with UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP | 294354 - Times Higher...

@AuManufacturings occasional editorial series on the real issues in the 2022 federal election concludes today with a return to industry and innovation policy largely missing in action in the election campaign. By Professor Roy Green.

When it comes to research and innovation, the current election campaign recalls the Sherlock Holmes story featuring the dog that didnt bark.

Heres how it went Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?

Holmes: To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.

Gregory: The dog did nothing in the night-time.

Holmes: That was the curious incident.

The problem with assessing the policies of the major parties in this critically important area for the future of our economy and society up to now is that there has been little if anything to assess. But the broad brushstrokes have become more evident in recent days.

The Coalition asks us to endorse their current approach, while Labor has announced a range of new initiatives, primarily focused on the revival and reinvention of Australias diminished manufacturing capability.

The question remains whether anything contemplated in this campaign is adequate to address the challenges of sluggish productivity, wage stagnation and energy transition, let alone the transformation of our outdated industrial structure.

Outdated trade and industrial structure

Lets reflect for a moment on where we are.

Unlike the Norwegians with a 76 per cent resource rent tax and the worlds biggest sovereign wealth fund to underwrite the future diversification of their economy, we failed to take advantage of our commodity boom.

The revenues left over from rich pickings by foreign shareholders fuelled short-term consumption, not the much needed longer term investment in the industries and technologies of the future.

Manufacturing as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell from around 30 per cent in the 1960s and 70s to 12 per cent in 2000 after the Hawke-Keating tariff reforms, but showed signs of rebounding in the transition from large scale vertically integrated mass production to smaller, more specialised firms making their way in global markets and value chains.

This repositioning of the Australian economy was interrupted not just by the global financial crisis but more significantly by the commodity price spike that increased our income from the rest of the world, mainly China, but masked a structural deterioration in productivity performance as the high dollar made much of our trade exposed manufacturing uncompetitive.

This experience was also shared by the Netherlands with the discovery of North Sea gas in the 1960s, hence the Dutch disease, and by the UK with North Sea oil in the 1980s.

As the trade deficit in elaborated transformed manufactures (ETMs) doubled in Australia to $180 billion, the manufacturing share of GDP fell further to six per cent, making us one of the least self-sufficient economies in the OECD. (Though the international data must always be qualified to take account of related services that are not included in the measurement of manufacturing.)

The narrowing of Australias trade and industrial structure is reflected both in our precipitous decline in global competitiveness rankings, and in the Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity which measures the diversity and research intensity of our exports.

Here we have dropped from a ranking of 55 in the 1990s, which was disturbing enough, to 86 out of 133 countries.

Australias vulnerability to external shocks was highlighted in the Covid-19 pandemic, when the lack of what we now call sovereign capability in essential products became a matter of public policy concern.

And yet once again, domestic consumption was safeguarded, this time by an unprecedented fiscal stimulus, defying previous shibboleths about the dangers of debt and deficits.

And once again, the need for productivity-enhancing investment in technological change and innovation was overlooked, against the background of another volatile commodity price spike.

This was despite the contribution such investment would make to more sustainable, net zero emissions growth, hence reducing our debt in the longer term.

Instead, as a result of this policy neglect, combined business and government expenditure on R&D as a proportion of GDP has slumped to 1.79 per cent, compared with 2.2 per cent eight years ago and 2.4 per cent on average for the OECD.

Some countries such as Israel, Finland, Korea and Switzerland are increasing their R&D spend to four and even five per cent of GDP.

Paradoxically, given the rundown of public funding for higher education, universities have taken on the heavy lifting in research and innovation, mainly through access to increasing international student revenues.

The problem here is not only that these revenues have taken a hit from Covid-19, but the research is not always in the areas where it can have most beneficial impact.

And while there are exemplars, nor is it translated as effectively as it could be into economic and social value.

When the latest Intergenerational Report projects annual productivity growth of 1.5 per cent for the next 20 years as a necessary minimum to maintain living standards, we must look to the policy levers that will assist in achieving that target, from current levels of around 0.5 per cent.

These levers must be designed to build our capability and performance in science, technology and innovation, and to increase enterprise absorptive capacity.

And yet not only are these levers missing or inadequate in Australia, they scarcely feature in public debate.

National research and innovation system

Most successful advanced countries are committed to the concept of a national research and innovation system, especially as part of post-Covid recovery and reconstruction.

They see this approach as essential to the development of a competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy.

In Australia we are faced not only with market failure in the research and innovation context but with system failure.

As well as being underfunded, Australias approach is notably fragmented and undirected.

In 2015, a Senate report on innovation found that Commonwealth spending is spread over 13 portfolios and 150 budget line items, few of which connected with each other.

Successive governments, including the current one, have become adept at slicing and dicing an inadequate budget envelope to create myriad programmes lacking interdependence and critical mass.

Our research and innovation effort is also undirected in the sense that it lacks a coordinating focus with national missions and priorities driven by regular evidence-based foresight exercises.

Instead, the largest component of funding is the R&D Tax Incentive programme, whose guidelines have become more opaque as demand continues to grow to the point where its claim on resources is unsustainable.

Other countries make more use of direct targeted programmes aligned to their priorities.

How much of this will change over the next three years?

The Coalition will continue business as usual with a mix of programmes, most of them welcome to recipients but sub-scale and lacking the institutional structures that would ensure longevity of engagement and impact.

Labor has committed to repurpose existing programmes and introduce a new $15 billion manufacturing future fund, from which will be drawn grant, loan and equity support initiatives.

Ideally, in addition to further layers of program funding, the next federal Government will need to look hard at the institutional arrangements that deliver this funding and commit to devising a more coherent, cost-effective research and innovation system.

This will require a number of components, the first being a national coordinating agency, similar to those successfully operating elsewhere, such as Swedens Vinnova, the Netherlands TNO and InnovateUK.

In this context, the second component of reform is a unified mission-driven approach to support for public research, including basic blue sky research, across all discipline areas with independent assessment of grant applications.

It has become dysfunctional and indeed inappropriate for universities to have to backfill research projects with teaching revenues.

Third, while everyone favours increased industry-university collaboration, Australia lacks the structures to conduct this effectively at scale and over long periods of time.

Successful examples around the world, such as the UK Catapult Centres and ManufacturingUSA Institutes, are aggregators which bring together the full range of stakeholders in specialised areas, including universities, multinational companies, SME supply chains and CSIRO equivalents.

Fourth, it has also become evident from local as well as international examples how important place-making is for the development of innovation and entrepreneurship precincts.

Many of these will be nurtured and grown by individual States, but there is scope for the Commonwealth to provide logistic support and access to finance on a cooperative basis, especially in Australias regions.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a world competitive research and innovation system will only be as successful as the skills that are brought to bear in the development and deployment of new technologies, design thinking and innovative business models.

Again this is a question not just of resources but institutional structures for capability building, including closer integration of university and VET pathways.

Australias future will not be determined by any single programme or initiative but by a system-wide, research driven transformation of our narrow and unsustainable industrial structure.

While some good ideas have managed to surface over the past week or two, the next government will have to do a lot better than the minimal offering in this election campaign.

The dog still has time to bark.

Roy Green is Emeritus Professor and Special Innovation Advisor at the University of Technology Sydney, Chair of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Hub and Chair of the Port of Newcastle.

Picture: UTS/Roy Green

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Election 22 the real issues - the industry policy dog that didn't bark by Roy Green - @AuManufacturing

A plethora of companies in the region, and particularly their board members and the C-suite, are considering what they need to do to address the environmental aspect of ESG.

The environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework comprises of three pillars.

The environmental pillar includes business and human interactions with the environment. The social aspect focuses on interactions with stakeholders to end poverty and promotes dignity, equality, and a healthy work environment.

Governance relates to how businesses are administered, including risk, oversight and ethics.

Most companies have a history of contributions through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives (S) and have been slowly enhancing their corporate governance (G) (Also read: The G is not silent in ESG).

The environmental aspect (E), is the elephant in the boardroom.

People stuck in traffic often complain about being late without considering their own vehicles as responsible for this traffic.

Similarly, companies need to approach the E from two distinct perspectives: how the environment is impacting their organisation, as well as how their own organisation is impacting the environment.

The UAE is taking the lead, with COP28 set to be hosted by the UAE next year. We have witnessed the UAE government encouraging large government entities to put in place strategies around ESG, and drafting legislation that would support the elimination of single use plastics and the establishment of more renewable energy projects.

One of the most significant, and perhaps most misunderstood, risks that organisations face today is climate change. The potential impact of climate change on organisations is not just physicalit will manifest in the long-term.

In December 2015, nearly 200 countries agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy (LCE). This implies the movement away from fossil fuel energy and related physical assets.

In fact, climate-related risks and the expected transition to an LCE affect most industries and economic sectors.

For many investors, climate change also poses significant financial challenges and opportunities.

The expected transition to a LCE is estimated to require around $1 trillion of yearly investment opportunities.

A 2015 study estimated the value at risk resulting from climate change to the total global stock of manageable assets as ranging from $4.2 trillion to $43 trillion from now until the end of the century.

New research published in 2021 in the scientific journal Nature has also found that almost half of the worlds fossil fuel assets could become worthless by 2036 under a net-zero transition.

Nevertheless, mitigating climate change produces opportunities for organisations. These include: resource efficiency and cost savings, the adoption of low-emission energy sources, the development of new products and services, access to new markets, and building resilience along the supply chain.

Opportunities will also vary depending on the region, market and industry in which the organisation operates.

When organisations examine the impact of climate change, they need to look at both transitional and physical risks (acute and chronic).

Physical climate risks will result if no action was taken on their behalf. However, if organisations do act on climate change, they may witness the transitional impact of moving away from fossil fuels and a carbon-based economy.

Transitional risks involve converting to an LCE. This may entail extensive policy, legal, technology and market changes to address the mitigation requirements of climate change.

Depending on the nature, speed and focus of these changes, transitional risks may pose varying levels of financial and reputational threats to the organisation.

Acute physical risks can be event driven (floods, wildfires, cyclones or droughts). Chronic physical risks, on the other hand, are long-term and include changes in weather patterns, heat waves and rising sea levels.

Physical risks may have financial implications for organisations, such as direct damage to assets and indirect effects from supply chain disruption.

The organisations financial performance may also be affected by changes in water availability, sourcing and quality and food security.

Other factors may also include extreme temperature changes affecting the organisations premises, operations, supply chain, transport needs and employee safety.

Finally, eminent regulations, shifting customer preferences and the organisations own GHG emissions, air and water pollution and waste generation can all be linked to its financial performance.

After examining the impact of the environment on their organisation, board members need to evaluate their own impact on the environment.

This can be broken down into two aspects: the impact resulting in climate change and the impact resulting in resource depletion.

The impact leading to climate change can be mitigated by reducing GHS emissions and achieving carbon neutrality through net-zero targets.

The impact of resource depletion is addressed by improving the circularity of the business and promoting the circular economy (CE).

Net-zero refers to the balance between the amount of GHG produced versus the amount removed from the atmosphere. It is achieved when the amount added is no more than the amount taken away.

A target of completely negating the amount of GHG produced by human activity is achieved by reducing emissions and implementing methods of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The UAE has adopted a net-zero target for the country by 2050 and KSA by 2060.

The CE is a model of production and consumption which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing material and products.

A CE aims to tackle global challenges using three principals: eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and material and the regeneration of nature. The CE is defined in contradiction to the traditional linear economy of take, make, use and dispose.

The UAE has released its own CE policy 2021-2031. The policy aims to outline some of the ways in which the UAE can transition towards a more effective CE where the countrys natural, physical, human and financial resources are used in the most efficient and sustainable way.

Transitioning to a CE will require collaboration between national and local governments, the private sector and the general public.

The policy is also a call to action for all stakeholders in various sectors to consider how they can think and act in a more circular way to help the country transition to a successful, sustainable and happy CE.

While each companys ESG journey is specific to its industry, maturity and unique business and operating models, ESG targets can only be successfully met when all three pillars are robust. Lets get the elephant out of the boardroom!

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The 'E' in ESG: Addressing the elephant in the boardroom - Arabian Business

Former Minister of Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu has emphasised the need for lawmakers and relevant government parastatals to deepen their knowledge in science, technology and innovation oversight functions.

Onu added that the challenges of sustainable development and governance that is currently facing Nigeria could be tackled through strategic approaches to research and innovation for diversification of the economy.

He stressed that for Nigeria to diversify, it must put science, technology and innovation on the front burner of its developmental agenda through efficient buy-in from the policy makers and users of the research outputs.

Onu who spoke at a programme organised by the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) for National Assembly members and other key stakeholders, said it was time to connect the major players in Science Technology and Innovation management in Nigeria.

He lamented that Nigeria is still faced with the challenges of inefficient exploitation of its huge and abundant human and material resources for nation building, given her reliance on export of natural resources and raw/unprocessed commodities such as fossil fuel, cash crops, unprocessed solid minerals and others as the major sources of revenue for the economy.

Onu said this has exposed the country to economic instability occasioned by the vagaries of international commodities, market.

The minister also lamented that only a small proportion of entrepreneurial start-ups are engaged in radical innovation in the country, adding that in the era of rapidly changing technology and shortening product life-cycles, a countrys ability to develop and successfully commercialise innovations has become a key competitive strength.

He said: The only available option to change this trajectory is enhancing the diversification of our dear nations economy through application and deployment of cutting-edge research and innovation in all sectors of the economy: Agriculture, Biotechnology, Health, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Education, Nanotechnology, Space Technology, etc.

In order to get the needed impacts on society, research must be demand-driven and tailored towards solving societal problems and improving the quality of life of citizens. It has been irrefutably proven that ground-breaking research and commercialisation of research outcomes are bringing a paradigm shift in todays world and any nation wishing to develop and grow at a fast pace must opt for solution-based research. There is no better time for research than now when Nigerians are trying to look inwards to find alternatives by using locally developed technologies to address national challenges.

Director-General NACETEM, Professor Okechukwu Ukwuoma stated that the meeting was necessary at a time when the diversification agenda and National Economic Sustainability Plan of the current administration are geared at repositioning Nigeria towards bouncing back stronger from the ravaging impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

Moving the economy from almost wholly resource-based to knowledge and innovation driven towards reclaiming the nations pride of place among the comity of nations and realising the great hopes and aspirations of our founding fathers at independence, there is no better veritable tool to turn to than science, technology and innovation. This thus makes this forum much more critical as the deployment of science, technology and innovation (STI) for short-term, medium-term and long-term benefits of Nigeria and the need to robustly fund STI will be its focus.

Chairman, Governing Board of NACETEM, Haastrup Olatunji noted that the research output of many countries is significantly affected by the amount of money dedicated to research and development (R&D).

Though greater investment does not always guarantee excellence, research shows that there is a strong correlation between the level of research excellence a country attains and the amount of money it dedicates to research and development.

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Onu canvasses diversification of economy through STI | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News News The Guardian Nigeria News Nigeria...

Governor walks downtown Bath, stops by local businesses and encourages Maine people to shop local as part of visit to Sagadahoc County today

SAGADAHOC COUNTY During a roundtable with sea farmers from the New Meadows River Shellfish Co-op today, Governor Janet Mills highlighted her Administrations commitment to responsible aquaculture as an opportunity to strengthen and diversify Maines economy, generate good jobs, and provide Maine people with sustainable, locally-farmed seafood.

Gov. Mills shucks an oyster following aquaculture roundtable

To support Maines aquaculture sector, the Governor pointed to millions of dollars made available to Maine sea farmers through the States distribution of funding through the CARES Act, the Governors Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the recently enacted supplemental budget, and the Working Waterfront Access Protection Program.

Aquaculture represents a promising opportunity to create new jobs, strengthen and diversify our economy, and expand Maines reputation as a premier destination for seafood, said Governor Mills. I have been proud to support Maine sea farmers as they overcome the pandemic, and my Administration will continue to support the responsible growth of this industry as it creates new jobs and builds on the strong foundation of our marine economy.

Aquaculture has steadily grown in Maine in recent years. According to the most recent economic impact report, its overall value is more than $100 million. Sea farmers apply to use public waters through the Maine Department of Marine Resource and undergo a rigorous permitting process based on State law.

The Governor was joined by Representative Jay McCreight (D-Harpswell), the Chair of the Legislatures Committee on Marine Resources, for the discussion. The Cooperative is composed of twelve shellfish farmers who operate in the greater waters of the New Meadows River from Small Point Harbor in Phippsburg to Princes Point in Brunswick to bring Maine people locally farmed, sustainable oysters and shellfish.

The Governor today also joined Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli (D-Arrowsic) for a walking tour of downtown Bath, visiting Bath Sweet Shoppe, Union & Co, Now Youre Cooking, Lisa Maries Made in Maine Shop, and Renys. The Governor also visited the Bath Recovery Community Center and had lunch at the Kennebec Tavern. Following the tour, she expressed her optimism about the future and encouraged Maine people to shop local.

Downtown Bath is a beautiful community with tremendous history, great restaurants, and extraordinary small businesses, said Governor Mills. I love this community and Sagadahoc County, which have so much to offer our state. With inflation, I know times can be tough, but I am hopeful about the future and, as we head into the long-awaited summer, I encourage Maine people to get out and enjoy their communities, shop local, and support their local small businesses.

The Governors visit to Sagadahoc County comes as she travels across the state to meet with local business and community leaders. Last week, the Governor visited Piscataquis County.

Earlier in the day, Governor Mills also joined U.S. Senator Angus King and officials from Greater Portland METRO and Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit to introduce four electric buses (two per agency) to their fleets.

Gov. Mills & Sen. Vitelli at Lisa Marie's Made in Maine Shop in Bath

Gov. Mills at Bath Recovery Community Center

Gov. Mills Helps Cut Ribbons on New Electric Buses

Gov. Mills at Now You're Cooking in Bath

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Governor Mills Highlights Responsible Aquaculture as Opportunity to Create Jobs, Strengthen Economy, and Promote Maine Seafood | Office of Governor...

After a seven-year career in tribal economic development at Wasyabek Development Co. LLC for his tribe, Jimmy TenBrink now finds himself heading up operations for a familiar tribal partner.

This month, TenBrink, a member of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, took a position as Chief Operating Officer at Grand Rapids-based Gun Lake Investments, the non-gaming economic development arm of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians.

Its fitting that the last acquisition TenBrink led for Wasyabek was the $17.5 million deal in which the organization partnered with Gun Lake Investments to acquire McKay Tower in downtown Grand Rapids.

TenBrink recalls meeting with former Gun Lake Investments CEO Kurt Trevan and the two organizations respective legal teams to finalize the property deal.

The attorneys were a little shocked because we sat on the same side of the table and we gave each other a hug, TenBrink said. Thats not how most of their negotiations work, but in Indian Country, it is. You hug your brothers. You are happy when theyre successful.

TenBrink started as an early board member at Wasyabek before being selected by the organization to work on dealmaking, starting with real estate transactions and progressing to acquisitions of operating companies. He went on to serve as president of two of Wasyabeks subsidiaries, Nunica-based Baker Engineering LLC and Muskegon-based RSI Manufacturing.

At Gun Lake Investments, TenBrink joins the executive team of an organization thats about to undergo a set of strategic exercises with its new board and new CEO Monica King, who assumed the role at the start of the year.

Jimmy brings an energy and a passion to his work that I believe make him an excellent fit with the team and culture we have created at GLI, King said in a statement. With his expertise in business and private investments, as well as his experiences as a Tribal member and working in Indian Country, Jimmy will add a new depth of perspective as he leads GLI operations.

TenBrink spoke with Tribal Business News about his new role, the broader M&A outlook and his vision for economic development as a key tool for tribal sovereignty.

Im pretty fortunate to get a chance with Gun Lake. Theyre a great organization. Working with Monica has been great, and I see that shes worked with this board to create just a really awesome culture. Im really glad to be part of it. Realistically, it came down to values and belief. For me, knowing whats going on at Gun Lake and just wanting to be part of something thats bigger than me to leave this long-term footprint on Indian Country was super appealing to me.

To grow my career through various stages and opportunities with Wasyabek and with my tribe, it was a lot of fun. I got a chance to see and meet a lot of great people, I got a chance to work with a lot of great people. Having managed and run subsidiaries, having done mergers and acquisitions to even back in the day being on the board, I feel like I can translate a lot of that experience over to help Gun Lake accomplish their goals and their vision.

Probably more than anything, it opened my eyes to the differences that are out there among all the tribal nations and what theyre looking to accomplish with their diversification or economic development efforts. Whats going on in Indian Country is that every tribe can look at their resources, how theyd like to generate some diversification and their efforts in developing their own economies and determine their own path. Thats whats fun for me, helping and seeing and being part of that vision coming to fruition.

Yes, I think so. Thats Monicas background as well. As the former CFO at Eaton, shes got a lot of manufacturing background. And, to be very honest, its Michigan: Theres manufacturing everywhere you turn. Theres definitely a lot of great opportunities.

If you look at the advantages that we have as a minority-owned business in manufacturing, theyre very strong. There are great organizations like Steelcase and Stryker here in West Michigan, and of course the automotive industry, that values a diversified supplier base. Being able to leverage that, utilize it, acquire businesses that we can make stronger and keep here in Michigan for seven generations is an amazing opportunity.

From a pipeline perspective, real estate is still very strong. The operating entities are very strong. For me, I like to have very specific targets. This is an industry we want to focus on. Right now, Gun Lake has a lot of targets in a lot of different areas that might be bolt-on acquisitions to their current portfolio or they might be platform opportunities. So Im trying to get my arms around (those) opportunities.

Valuations have been high. Its a little concerning, but I think maybe interest rates will drive a little bit of change in that. Private equity and the M&A space has been a good investment for people to do. Its why the massive private equity firms are doing so well. Its a good place to invest and oftentimes beats the stock market with the returns theyve been able to generate. I still see that as being a great thing.

For Gun Lake no different than it was at WDC its finding the right investment, the right cultural fit, the right organization that has people that share the same values. Unlike typical PEs that are looking to step away, Gun Lake is looking to hold on to these for some period of time, potentially seven generations if it makes sense for the business.

I think that theres still a fair amount of business owners out there whove had a really good run and want to make sure their people and their teams are well taken care, that they have opportunities for growth and that they have strong financial support if the economy does slip into a recession here coming up. Maybe those are the right people for us to be talking to. Those owners dont want to just sell the business and step away, they want to make sure people are taken care of. They typically seem to align much more with the value systems of the tribe and what their goals are as well.

Absolutely. For me personally and this is more of a personal statement than a reflection on either tribe or either EDC I would love for Indian Country not to have to lean on any federal assistance, from grant programs or anything like that. Unfortunately, not all tribes have a revenue-generating resource, whether that be mineral resources or casino operations, so its not quite possible.

But if Indian Country can lean on Indian Country, I think those are great things for Indian Country as a whole. As a group thats been historically challenged with lower income situations, some of it is showing a model and giving tribes and tribal members hope for more that they can achieve more financially. When it comes to a career or a personal stake, whatever it is they would like to accomplish in their lives, they dont have to feel like theyre being held back or held down by anyone.

To be able to do that for Indian Country, thats my passion. Thats why Ive loved being here for the last seven or eight years doing this for Wasyabek and now for Gun Lake. Its trying to see tribal members be able to lift themselves up from this economic situation and where theyre at. As Native Americans, weve got to start pushing to show our youth and our children that theres more out there, that we can achieve more. We have a place as sovereign nations.

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EDITORS NOTE: This story was originally published in Tribal Business News and is reprinted with permission.

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Gun Lake Investments taps former deal partner to run operations - MiBiz: West Michigan Business News

Scientists from the US have presented research into the use of hydrogen blended with natural gas as a bridging energy to achieve long-term carbon neutrality. This strategy could potentially help meet net-zero targets whilst still ensuring energy security in the short term. Their review study has appeared in the journal Energies.

Study: Hydrogen Blending in Gas Pipeline NetworksA Review. Image Credit:petrmalinak/Shutterstock.com

Climate change is one of the main existential threats facing humanity in the 20th century. Carbon dioxide and methane are two of the most damaging greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for the alarming rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution and subsequent environmental damage. Phasing out fossil fuels in favor of low-carbonrenewable energy sources and fuels is a key strategy for meeting zero-carbon emissions targets.

Hydrogen has been widely explored in recent decades as an alternative fuel and energy source. Aside from near-zero greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen is a highly efficient energy carrier, is abundant, and eminently renewable, overcoming both emissions and supply issues. Hydrogen can be easily produced using water splitting methodsand, depending on its source, is incredibly clean. The most ideal source of hydrogen is renewable energy, and if produced in this manner, is termed green hydrogen.

kg of CO2 emitted per million kJ of energy for various fuels in 2020.Image Credit:Mahajan, D et al., Energies

Another advantage of hydrogen is that existing storage and transportation infrastructure can easily handle liquid hydrogen without the need for major alterations. A key resource that, whilst still producing 50.3 kg of CO2 per million KJ of energy, produces less carbon dioxide than gasoline and coal is natural gas. More energy-rich than other hydrocarbons, natural gas has applications in industry as a fuel and for electricity generation.

The extensive natural gas infrastructure that already exists has the potential to be repurposed for hydrogen storage and transportation, which will help realize the aims of the carbon-neutral economy.

Repurposing natural gas infrastructure, whilst presenting the most technologically mature strategy for realizing a hydrogen-based economy, faces several key technical challenges. Natural gas and hydrogen differ significantly in their properties, which means that it is not a simple case of just replacing natural gas with hydrogen in these systems.

Realizing a large-scale conversion of current infrastructure into a hydrogen-carrier system requires a comprehensive examination of factors such as production methods, storage, and transportation, and finding sufficient end-use applications for hydrogen. One solution is to progressively increase the proportion of hydrogen in hydrogen/methane blends over time to 100%, but this is a challenging endeavor for engineers and researchers. To successfully overcome the challenges, a coordinated, cross-functional approach must be taken.

The main aim of the new paper is to examine state-of-the-art knowledge and progress in research into the hydrogen economy, considering production, transportation of hydrogen blends, and commercial uses.

Properties and benefits of hydrogen/methane blends have been discussed by the authors in-depth, and an emphasis has been placed on safety concerns surrounding the use of methane/hydrogen blends. Density, viscosity, energy densities, and phase interactions are all causes ofconcern. Issues with pressure and leakage, pipeline stresses, and long-term hydrogen embrittlement are common with long-term hydrogen storage and transport and must be fully understood. These issues are being addressed by current projects.

The study has summarized current projects in different parts of the world. Demonstration projects including THyGA, HyDeploy, HyBlend, and THyGA are currently being supported by governments to elucidate a cost-effective pathway for achieving carbon reduction goals by 2050. Lessons learned from research into hydrogen blends and demonstration projects will help to realize the development of safer, more efficient, and compatible hydrogen fuel infrastructure.

A major impact on blended gas transport cost dynamics is caused by pressure reduction in blends. Increased energy is needed to transport blends to domestic and commercial users compared to natural gas alone. This increased cost can be mitigated by modifying flow rates and pressures. Techno-economic studies can play a key role in providing relevant information to address these issues.

(a) damaged boiler tube facture; (b) position of facture on the boiler tube.Image Credit:Mahajan, D et al., Energies

Four key challenges have been identified in the review study in Energies. End-use appliances such as heating equipment and burners may need design modifications to cope with increased combustion temperature and flame speeds. Additional compressors will be required to address challenges with lower energy transport and mass flow. The increased risk of leakage and explosion will require new safety standards and codes. Finally, there is an increased risk of long-term embrittlement and corrosion caused by hydrogen storage and transport.

Influence of hydrogen charging on 1018 steel. Image Credit:Mahajan, D et al., Energies

Whilst the review only touches upon the subject of hydrogen/methane blends and issues with current infrastructure and how to overcome them, the authors have laid a good foundation for future specific-topic related studies which will help the technology reach maturity.

Mahajan, D et al. (2022) Hydrogen Blending in Gas Pipeline NetworksA Review Energies 15(10) 3583 [online] mdpi.com. Available at:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/10/3582

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

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Will Blending Hydrogen with Natural Gas be Effective? - AZoM

Vancouver, BC / TheNewswire / May 16, 2022 / Global Energy Metals Corporation (TSXV:GEMC) | (OTC:GBLEF) | (FSE:5GE1) (Global Energy Metals, the Company and/or GEMC), a company involved in investment exposure to the battery metals supply chain, is pleased to announce thatPresident & CEO, Mitchell Smith has been invited to participate as a panelist at the upcoming Cobalt Conference - Powering the Green Economy hosted by the Cobalt Institute on Tuesday May 17th, 2022 from 13:30 to 15:00 CET.

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This year, the Cobalt Conference Powering the Green Economy will look at the role of cobalt in powering the Green Economy and ensuring a sustainable future. The Conference will focus on four themes: the cobalt market, cobalt as a global resource, the just transition, and the circular economy.

Mr. Smith will participate in the Session 2 panel entitled "Cobalt as a Global Resource. It will be preceded with by an introductory statement by Kim Shedd, Mineral Commodity Specialist, United States Geological Survey. The session will look at the global nature of the Cobalt Market with a particular focus of the geographic diversity of reserves and supply.

Other panelists include:

Robert Ellenwood, President, New Providence Metals Marketing

Joe Kaderavek, CEO, Cobalt Blue

Michael Hollomon, Commercial Director, US Strategic Metals

Caspar Rawles, Chief Data Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence

The era-defining shift from fossil fuels to clean energy is set to deliver an unprecedented new boom for commodities, and an opportunity for investors, as a range of critical minerals finally get the attention they deserve due to their essential role in delivering emissions-free power and transport. To meet global climate change targets, demand for minerals and metals, like cobalt, used in green technologies such as rechargeable batteries used in vehicle electrification is expected to rise exponentially, and yet these irreplaceable building blocks enabling the energy transition, are expected to be in short supply, in part due to concentration of production and processing.

But as the global initiative to transition away from many carbon-based forms of energy proceeds, so too does the urgency arise for sustainable sources for critical components that go into these green technologies.

Canada, through collaboration with the United States and other strategic nation partners, has benefit to having the critical mineral reserves, skilled workforce, infrastructure, technology and clean energy necessary to fuel a new lithium ion battery ecosystem.

During the event, Mitchell will represent both Global Energy Metals as well as the Battery Metals Association of Canada, of which he is a Director of, to share an outlook for the cobalt sector focusing on the fundamental changes impacting the battery metals market. During the panel discussion he intends to emphasize how Canada, and North America as a whole, can play a crucial role, through companies like Global Energy Metals, in identifying strategic opportunities and be globally competitive in the sector as demand for critical materials grows and the push to regionalize supply chains is prioritized in an effort to meet demand for new energy technologies.

For those attending the conference who would like to schedule a meeting with Mitchell during the event or alternatively would like to schedule a one-on-one meeting outside of the event, please do so by email at info@globalenergymetals.com or phone at +1 (604) 688-4219.

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About the Cobalt Institute

The Cobalt Institute is a trade association composed of producers, users, recyclers, and traders of cobalt. We promote the sustainable and responsible production and use of cobalt in all its forms.

For more information, please visit their website at https://www.cobaltinstitute.org/about-us/.

About the Battery Metals Association of Canada

The Battery Metals Association of Canada (BMAC) is a trade organization of entrepreneurs, explorers, developers and producers of battery metals and materials, who have joined together to support a rapidly changing energy landscape.

What we share is a desire to develop battery metals resources and to incorporate these materials into a battery production stream.

As a national non-profit association, BMAC will connect the industry and lead the effort to ensure Canada fully captures the abundant economic potential of its massive resources through the responsible and sustainable growth of Canadas battery metals supply chain.

For more information, please visit their website at https://www.bmacanada.org.

Global Energy Metals Corporation

(TSXV:GEMC | OTCQB:GBLEF | FSE:5GE1)

Global Energy Metals Corp. offers investment exposure to the growing rechargeable battery and electric vehicle market by building a diversified global portfolio of exploration and growth-stage battery mineralassets.

Global Energy Metals recognizes that the proliferation and growth of the electrified economy in the coming decades is underpinned by the availability of battery metals, including cobalt, nickel, copper, lithium and other raw materials. To be part of the solution and respond to this electrification movement, Global Energy Metals has taken a consolidate, partner and invest approach and in doing so have assembled and are advancing a portfolio of strategically significant investments in battery metal resources.

As demonstrated with the Companys current copper, nickel and cobalt projects in Canada, Australia, Norway and the United States, GEMC is investing-in, exploring and developing prospective, scaleable assets in established mining and processing jurisdictions in close proximity to end-use markets. Global Energy Metals is targeting projects with low logistics and processing risks, so that they can be fast tracked to enter the supply chain in thiscycle. The Company is also collaborating with industry peers to strengthen its exposure to these critical commodities and the associated technologies required for a cleaner future.

Securing exposure to these critical minerals powering the eMobility revolution is a generationalinvestment opportunity. Global Energy Metals believe the time to be part of this electrification movement.

For Further Information:

Global Energy Metals Corporation

#1501-128 West Pender Street

Vancouver, BC, V6B 1R8

Email: info@globalenergymetals.com

t. + 1 (604) 688-4219

http://www.globalenergymetals.com

Twitter: @EnergyMetals | @USBatteryMetals | @ElementMinerals

Subscribe to the GEMC eNewsletter

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information:

Certain information in this release may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve risks associated with regulatory approvals and timelines. Although Global Energy Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

GEMCs operations could be significantly adversely affected by the effects of a widespread global outbreak of a contagious disease, including the recent outbreak of illness caused by COVID-19. It is not possible to accurately predict the impact COVID-19 will have on operations and the ability of others to meet their obligations, including uncertainties relating to the ultimate geographic spread of the virus, the severity of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, and the length of travel and quarantine restrictions imposed by governments of affected countries. In addition, a significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that could further affect operations and the ability to finance its operations.

For more information on Global Energy and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review the filings that are available at http://www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

We seek safe harbour.

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GLOBAL ENERGY METALS CEO Invited to Participate as Panelist at Upcoming Cobalt Institute Conference to Discuss Cobalt as a Global Resource -...

The coronavirus pandemic has shown how critical the internet can be during a disaster especially to those who dont have access to it.

Early on, when it became clear that the virus is spread through in-person contact, many institutions were able to keep operating by shifting their activity online. But not all Americans could join that digital migration.

This story is part of our series "Climate Driven: A deep dive into Maine's response, one county at a time."

In Maine alone, some 15% of households still dont have access to high-speed broadband. So while doctors increasingly saw their patients over video, that was less possible for patients without a computer or smartphone with a reliable connection. Or when schools shifted to remote classes, some families had to drive to the nearest public Wi-Fi hotspots.

It creates huge challenges, says Deb Rountree, who leads the Katahdin Higher Education Center, a remote learning facility in East Millinocket. We literally during the pandemic had people come and sit outside in the parking lot, to use our Wi-Fi to connect to school, or to have their kids connect to the school.

Now, those lessons are shaping how Maine officials are responding to another, even larger threat: global warming.

Just as the pandemic showed that many people could work from home on the internet, it also had an effect on the planet. Vehicle travel, which normally produces 54% of Maines greenhouse gas emissions, fell by a third during the early part of the public health crisis, according to state transportation data.

Based in part on that experience, the comprehensive Maine Won't Wait climate action plan developed by the Mills administration includes a goal of extending high-speed broadband to 99% of Maine homes by 2030, up from the roughly 85% that now have it.

Administration officials say that Mainers would be less likely to use their gas guzzlers if they have an internet setup allowing them to work, study, receive health care or do other tasks from home.

But the evidence is mixed on whether expanding broadband would, by itself, lead to less driving or lower emissions.

While driving dropped sharply at the outset of the pandemic, Maine and national data show that it mostly rebounded by the second half of 2020, as health restrictions were lifted and the economy reopened. Theyve hovered around pre-pandemic levels since then, despite the fact that many Americans continue to do some work from home.

And while research on remote work has suggested that it could reduce the amount of driving that workers do, it could also increase vehicle use for workers who move further from their office to more car-dependent rural areas, and increase other forms of energy usage such as the heating required in home offices.

Even so, a variety of groups and institutions believe that broadband has a role in reducing Maines vehicle emissions, especially when paired with other transportation initiatives.

Intuitively, if youre working from home three or four days a week and planning trips so youre not really going outside your town, I would think there would be some sort of drop in vehicle miles traveled, says Joyce Taylor, chief engineer at the Maine Department of Transportation, who helps lead the transportation portion of the states climate initiatives.

While vehicle travel has rebounded over the last two years, Taylor says its hard to draw broad conclusions from that data because of the unusual circumstances of the pandemic. People may have driven more because public transit and ridesharing no longer seemed safe, or they sought outdoor recreational opportunities further from their homes or they had no other option because their towns dont have reliable broadband.

There are plenty of Mainers who could fall into that last category: the Mills administration estimates 78,000 locations around Maine dont have access to high-speed broadband, according to the Bangor Daily News. High-speed is classified as download speeds of 50 megabits per second and uploads of 10 megabits per second.

Many of those gaps are in sparsely populated communities throughout Maine's wooded interior or along the Down East coast communities that are now hoping to tap a pool of up to $500 million in state and federal dollars that have been reserved for broadband expansion projects in Maine.

One example of those efforts is happening in Dover-Foxcroft. Chris Maas, a retired technology consultant who sits on the town's climate action advisory committee, is trying to rally a coalition of towns in Piscataquis, Somerset and Penobscot counties to seek funding to extend high-speed broadband service.

Maas hopes that expansion would help reduce miles driven, provide more access to online learning and health care and enhance the regions appeal to potential new residents and employers.

Maas, who is active with a number of organizations, estimates his own driving fell from 15,000 miles a year before the pandemic to 12,000 miles today. He says that videoconferences have replaced many of the meetings in Bangor for which he previously might have driven 500 miles a week at a cost he estimates at about $60 in gasoline today.

Thats $60 dollars worth of gasoline that Im not spewing the CO2 in the atmosphere, he says. And its less traffic on the roads.

There are plenty of similar anecdotes about online services replacing the need to drive during the pandemic.

At the Katahdin Higher Education Center, Rountree says that the internet, however limited in the region, has been a crucial resource for non-traditional students who can take courses at the University of Maine at Augusta and Eastern Maine Community College without commuting to Bangor. She thinks there will continue to be strong demand for studying from home now that its been proven to work during the pandemic especially as gas prices soar.

Health care providers have also greatly expanded their online presence during the pandemic, deploying videoconferencing to see their patients from afar. The number of monthly telehealth visits by Northern Light Health, a Brewer-based network of 10 hospitals, exploded from 1,538 in January 2020 to 22,010 the following January.

Everyone knows about telehealth visits now, says Luke Knowlton, a primary care provider at Northern Light CA Dean Hospital in Greenville, who uses Zoom to see patients at their homes or workplaces, or after theyve traveled to clinics in Sangerville or Monson.

One patient got a checkup last summer from the inside of an excavator he was operating at a distant construction site. The most important thing was that he got good care, Knowlton says. But an ancillary benefit was he didnt need to use any gas and spend his money and take time off from work.

Ultimately, its hard to predict whether the online shift that started during the pandemic will make a dent in the states fossil fuel consumption, or whether Mainers will simply find new ways to burn the energy.

Jonathan Rubin, an economist who researches transportation at the University of Maine, says remote work could eventually help keep driving down, but only if its supported by other policies that help people leave their cars at home. He also thinks that the high gas prices of late could make Mainers more reluctant to drive.

Telecommuting can reduce emissions if done well, Rubin says. If a teleworker who used to drive to a central location stays at home, walks to the grocery store, walks to the neighborhood for some exercise, that all saves energy. But if they move further from their central location, or they start driving further to go to a grocery store because its no longer convenient on the way home for work, then its more.

In addition to expanding broadband, Maines climate action plan also seeks to improve the ability of residents to get around by foot, bike or public transit, and encourage more densely developed communities in which homes are near shopping and other amenities. The Mills administration is also trying to reduce emissions by promoting electric vehicles and renewable energy sources.

Nick Battista, who chairs the ConnectMaine Authority, a state office that works to spread broadband, sees some other ways in which that expansion could help the state fight climate change. He said that high-speed internet could help Mainers use web-enabled programs to more efficiently heat their homes, for example, or to seek out rebates for buying electric vehicles or weatherizing their homes.

Additionally, Battista, who also serves as policy director of the Rockland-based Island Institute, says that expanding broadband could help rebuild trust in government programs among rural communities left behind by the digital revolution" of the early 2000s. With slow or nonexistent internet connections, those communities particularly struggled when kids had to switch to online learning during the pandemic.

They have experienced firsthand the failure of our government to meet our needs, Battista says. We can't solve climate change without taking care of some of those basic services.

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Taking a lesson from the pandemic, Maine hopes more broadband will reduce vehicle travel - Maine Public

The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has launched Waste Stream Mapping Guides for 21 countries as part of its Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide programme.

Each Waste Stream Mapping Guide includes a simple table with entries for different materials: composite beverage cartons, paper, aluminium, tin plate, glass, and plastic. The plastic category is further divided into specific polymers, accounting for rigid and flexible PS, PVC, PE, PP, and PET.

Each Guide includes a colour-coded system for understanding the collection flows of these different packaging types. For example, when a collection flow is available, the table will include a green box with a tick to indicate there is area-wide collection with over 50% of the material retrieved.

In the case that there is limited collection flow available, this will be shown by a yellow box and wave symbol, suggesting that the material is collected in some regions or municipalities, but the total amount is around 10% to 50%. For packaging types where there is no collection stream available or the collected waste amount for the material is less than 10%, the box will be red with a cross inside.

The WPO developed the Guides in partnership with FH Campus Wein University of Applied Sciences, Austria, Circular Analytics, and ECR Community. The countries that now have dedicated guides, available on the WPO website, are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

Nerida Kelton, vice president for sustainability & save food at the WPO, comments: In order to be able to apply recyclable packaging design, a certain fundamental knowledge of sorting and recycling processes is necessary. Packaging must, therefore, be suitable for state-of-the-art sorting and recycling processes in addition to its basic functions (e.g., storage, transport, product protection, product presentation and convenience).

The Waste Stream Mapping Guides are essential global decision-making tools that will enable anyone to access current information on technically recyclable packaging across the world. They will help those involved in the development of packaging to not only plan in accordance with regional technical recyclability, but to also improve the design at the start to meet the regional requirements, or limitations, for collection, sorting, recovery and recyclability.

Using these tools at the start of an NPD process will also bring significant opportunities to eliminate non-recyclable packaging before it is placed on the market.

The Waste Stream Mapping Guides also come with a How to Use Guide for the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide so that they can be used hand-in-hand when packaging is being designed.

These guides will also be extremely useful to assist companies who are exporting their products and are unsure as to what is technically recyclable, conditionally recyclable or non-recyclable in the country in which the product will be sold. This information will help them to meet the packaging design parameters for that country to ensure recyclability.

Launched at Ipack IMA 2022 earlier this month, the WPOs Waste Stream Mapping Guides are the second stage of the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide programme. The Packaging Design for Recycling Guide aims to provide sustainable design recommendations that facilitate a circular economy and reduce the ecological impact of packaging.

The general recommendations of the WPOs design Guide are prioritising packaging that can be reused but that is also designed for recycling, with a reduction in the use of packaging materials preferable where possible without impacting product protection. Within the definition of designing for recycling, the WPO says that packaging should be designed for optimal residual emptying and in such a way that, in the event of necessary separation of individual packaging components, the participation of the final consumer is not necessary for the disposal.

The WPO also highlights the importance of using recycled content and mono-materials, as well as EuPIA-compliant inks and coatings, adhesives that do not interfere with the recycling process, and closures that remain attached to the packaging to avoid the creation of small parts. Additionally, the organisation recommends laser engraving best-before dates and batch numbers, as well as avoiding carbon black as it can interfere with near-infrared (NIR) sorting processes.

For plastics, in particular, the WPO emphasises the use of widely available materials like PP, PE, and PET, preferably transparent with adhesives that are recyclable or washable and as few additives (especially those that change density) as possible. The group recommends that the surface area of the base material should be covered only to a maximum of 50% by sleeves, labels, or banderols.

For paper and carton, the WPO says that fibres from coniferous and deciduous trees should be prioritised when designing packaging. The 4evergreen Alliances recently-released Circularity by Design guide proposes that the paper content of packaging should be at least 50% for it to qualify as fibre-based.

If a plastic laminate or coating is required on paper or carton packaging, the WPO adds that this should only be included on one side, and that wax coatings should be avoided completely. The organisation also does not recommend integrated windows that cannot easily be separated for recycling, such as plastic windows used for letters, which research from DS Smithfound is one of the major contributors to recycling stream disruptions.

Meanwhile, the WPO recommends using standard colouring (green, brown, or white/transparent shades) and regular three-component glass for glass packaging. The organisation notes that it does not recommend ceramic parts, full-surface sleeves, or large-area plastic labels; instead, decoration should preferably be achieved with engraving or wet-strength paper labels.

Ernst Krottendorfer, co-managing partner of Circular Analytics, who was one of the key developers of the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide and the Waste Stream Mapping Tools, explains: Design for recycling is part of a circular product design and represents an important basis for holistic sustainability assessment.

Accordingly, circularity means that the packaging is designed in such a way that the highest possible recycling of the materials in use can be achieved. The goals here are resource conservation, the longest possible service life, material-identical recycling (closed-loop recycling) or the use of renewable materials.

Circular Design is only effective when the relevant collection, sorting and recycling streams exist. From the mapping of the Waste Streams we can better determine technically recyclable packaging types in countries across the world.

The WPO project team is currently working on the next round of country-specific Waste Stream Mapping Guides, which will be made available later this year.

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Individual waste stream maps for 21 countries unveiled by the World Packaging Organisation - Packaging Europe