A partnership of £1.7 million to solve the global plastics crisis

Aquapak and University of Birmingham partner to address end-of-life plastic.

Aquapak Polymers Ltd, which is based in Birmingham, UK, and specialises in polymer-based material technologies that can deliver both performance and environmental responsibility at scale, is today announcing a unique ‘Prosperity Partnership’ with the University of Birmingham to help tackle the plastic waste crisis - one of the most significant challenges facing society today.

The three-year project, which brings together world leaders in their fields, is being funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Aquapak, Siemens and the University of Birmingham, with a combined value of £1.7M.

Aquapak has already successfully developed and commercialised Hydropol™, a highly functional, specialty environmental polymer that allows product design to support the circular economy – by enabling recycling and delivering multiple end-of-life options. The project will help further develop Aquapak’s novel polymer products which are both recyclable and biodegradable yet retain – or even exceed – the durability and versatility of conventional plastics. Crucially, it will also develop entirely new, bio-derived polymers, and maximise the energy- and resource-efficiency of the production process through the application of novel evolutionary optimisation techniques, thus ensuring sustainability at all levels.

The project brings together a world class multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the University’s Schools of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy & Materials and Physics providing an extensive array of tools including world-leading positron, x-ray and optical imaging capabilities, particle, fluid, process and chemical kinetic modelling capabilities, and diverse ML, AI and data science skills, alongside cutting-edge experimental and computational facilities.