Aquapak and University of Birmingham announce partnership to tackle plastic waste crisis

Aquapak Polymer, a UK-based company specializes in polymer-based material technologies, announces a unique “Prosperity Partnership” with the University of Birmingham to help tackle the plastic waste crisis.

Dr Kit Windows-Yule (left), project leader from the University of Birmingham and Dr John Williams (right), CTO of Aquapak.

The three-year project, which joins world experts in their fields, is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Aquapak, Siemens and the University of Birmingham, with a combined value of GBP 1.7 million.

The partnership aims at replacing conventional plastics with alternative, biodegradable polymers, or increasing the recyclability of plastics.

There are three long-term ambitions of the partnership. First, to use the diverse skills of the multidisciplinary team to help Aquapak develop world-leading, digitally-driven R&D capabilities.

Second, to use these capabilities to facilitate rapid, efficient, AI-enabled optimization and expansion of Aquapak’s primary processes, and development of new products with novel functionality.

Third, facilitate the wider adoption of Aquapak’s recyclable and biodegradable polymer products, thereby playing a small but significant role in addressing the global plastic crisis.

Aquapak has already successfully developed and commercialized Hydropol, a highly functional and recyclable specialty environmental polymer that allows product that contribute to circular economy.

Hydropol pellets are water soluble, non-toxic and marine-safe.

With the three-year project, Aquapak will further develop novel polymer products which are both recyclable and biodegradable, yet retain or even exceed the durability and versatility of conventional plastics.

The company will also develop entirely new, bio-derived polymers, and maximize the energy- and resource-efficiency of the production process through application of evolutionary optimization techniques, thus ensuring sustainability at all levels.