| A new approach
that makes paper from straw, which cuts production costs and is
kinder to the planet, is one step closer to reality thanks to an
investment award of £90,500 from NESTA (the National Endowment
for Science, Technology and the Arts) – the organisation that
nurtures UK creativity and innovation.
The innovation is the brainchild of a Surrey-based environmental
company, BioRegional MiniMills Ltd. The driving force behind this
company is a former nurse, Sue Riddlestone who became very active
in the environmental field after starting a family. Following a
stint of voluntary work for the eco-lobby group Greenpeace, she
co-founded BioRegional as an environmental charity. It works in
partnership with industry to develop sustainable production and
lifestyles through practical projects. The MiniMills offshoot was
established in 1997 to develop new, cleaner technology to make paper
on a small scale. Sue is joined by a range of experts from the paper
processing industry.
There are reported to be nearly
9,000 paper and board mills worldwide, and the demand for paper
is growing at a rate of 3% per annum. Current mills are huge operations
run by multi-national companies. However, MiniMills’ new process
would allow more independent paper makers to compete with these
large-scale processes. Their method would facilitate the use of
a much greater variety of raw materials, including straw - four
million tonnes of straw goes unused in the UK annually - and wood
from sustainably-managed, smaller woodlands for use in papermaking.
This would provide income generation for both farmers and foresters.
The new process also provides
a more efficient and ecologically sound method for treating effluent,
otherwise known as ‘black liquor’, from the pulp-making
procedure. Current processes for effluent treatment are carried
out at high temperatures, which requires high levels of energy.
The recovered product is very corrosive and precautions must be
taken against the risk of explosion.
MiniMills’ method liberates
organic matter present in the black liquor and recycles them as
process fuel, as well as recovering sodium hydroxide for re-use
in pulping. The reactions take place at relatively low temperatures.
Since 1997, pilot-scale laboratory
trials have been carried out with support from six paper companies,
two environmental charities, the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food (MAFF) and the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI).
Having reached the proof of concept stage, the next vital step for
MiniMills is to build a £6m demonstration plant. NESTA’s
support will go a long way in helping the organisation achieve this
aim as well as enabling them to secure intellectual property rights
(IPR) and provide legal and technical expertise.
Earlier this month, the team held open days at the black liquor
treatment plant at Frogmore Mill in Hemel Hempstead. Excellent feedback
was received from members of the paper industry who were invited
to observe the plant in operation and discuss the potential for
becoming partners to commercialise and promote the technology.
The latest trials show that the
BioRegional MiniMills offer improved drainage, less fibre damage
and faster pulping. The process uses technology tried and tested
in other areas of manufacturing such as food and industrial waste
processing, and therefore the technical risk is minimised.
Mark White, NESTA Invention and
Innovation Director, said: “We are delighted to be supporting
the MiniMills process which has the potential to penetrate a large
global market in the production of paper, as well as bring major
environmental benefits in an area of historic difficulty for the
industry. At NESTA we are always on the look-out for innovative
ideas for new products and services, willing to back them at the
early stage that other funders seem to find difficult to handle.”
Notes
Formed in 1997, BioRegional MiniMills
UK Ltd shareholders comprise two environmental organisations, BioRegional
Development Group and the Worldwide Fund for Nature, and five leading
paper companies. BRMM grew out of BioRegional Development Group,
an independent environmental organisation aiming to bring sustainability
into the mainstream by increasing local production for local needs.
BioRegional offers solutions to make sustainable living easy, attractive
and affordable. Other current project areas include paper, textiles,
wood and housing.
• NESTA (the National Endowment
for Science, Technology and the Arts) was established by Act of
Parliament in 1998 to pioneer ways of supporting and promoting talent,
innovation and creativity in science, technology and the arts.
• NESTA’s income initially
came from the interest on an endowment of £200 million from
National Lottery funds. In February 2003, NESTA received an additional
£50 million bringing the endowment up to £250 million
and an extra £45 million to use as revenue expenditure until
2006 (£15 million a year from 2003). NESTA plans to spend
over £20 million a year on UK creativity and innovation.
• Since May 2000, NESTA
has spent over £34 million on more than 320 awards.
• NESTA has a dedicated Media Room on its web site where news
releases like this are easily available and where journalists can
subscribe to receive any future releases. Other information, including
high-resolution images to download and Press Office contact details,
are also available at www.nesta.org.uk/mediaroom
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