COST, the intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in
Science and Technology, has been running a series of R&D programmes
in wood. Martin Parley reports on the final Cost Action E53 conference on quality control,
held at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, UK.
An organic preservation method for treated wood used in residential
applications may provide an effective and environmentally friendly way
to prevent wood decay.
The Innovation in Enamel Symposium at University of West England in Bristol, UK, drew an earnest crowd eager to discuss the possibilities of a material weighed down in tradition. Ledetta Asfa-Wossen reports
A recycling method could see carbon fibre-reinforced composites upcycled into more demanding applications. Researchers at Loughborough University, UK, claim to have converted the
composite’s thermoset polymer matrix into a ceramic, which could be
used in ‘friction applications’ such as brake discs for high-end cars.
The use of salt-modified starch as a binder could assist the production
of compostable carbohydrate-based polymers with varied properties, say
researchers at Leicester University in the UK.
DEFRA, which funds WRAP, will be forced to cut £162m from its budget under new Chancellor George Osborne’s £6.2bln savings plan, while at the same time recycling targets are set to rise. Gary Price asks key representatives from the sector how they think the cuts will affect industry and what they wish the new Government to achieve.
Software that may help retailers, as well as packaging manufacturers and designers, reduce the costs and CO2 emissions associated with transporting, storing and shelving packed products is said to have been used for the first time by a major UK retailer.
