Our £1 million UKRI funded Plastics: Redefining Single-Use got off to a flying start. Our 2 day stakeholder event allowed our multidisciplinary team to meet with our stakeholders and talk all things single-use plastic.
Academics alone won’t find the answers to plastic waste. Because of this we have created a large team of stakeholders with an interest in single-use plastic. They represent the local, national and international angles of plastics’ issues – from EYEYE (a Sheffield optician), to Nomad Foods, who work across the world, and WRAP. Our Cow Molly, a local dairy, also joined us.
Stakeholders mixed with 37 academics from across all faculties, Professional Service colleagues, the Student Union and catering services. This holistic approach is vital if we want to transform plastic use.
This 2 day meeting of minds created a high-energy atmosphere and generated some fantastic ideas and innovations from the get go. We captured them through #RedefiningSingleUse on Twitter:
⚡️ #RedefiningSingleUse | Stakeholder Event >> To redefine plastic, we have to ask the right questions about it. Our stakeholders – from business, policy and the 3rd sector – met up today to shape those questions. #plastic #CircularEconomy https://t.co/SaGEmeq23w — Grantham Centre (@granthamcsf) January 28, 2019
⚡️ #RedefiningSingleUse | Stakeholder Event >> To redefine plastic, we have to ask the right questions about it. Our stakeholders – from business, policy and the 3rd sector – met up today to shape those questions. #plastic #CircularEconomy https://t.co/SaGEmeq23w
— Grantham Centre (@granthamcsf) January 28, 2019
Tweets about the event attracted the attention of local dairy farm owner, Eddie from Our Cow Molly. Inspired by the idea of reducing plastic, Eddie knocked up a prototype. This metal container could massively reduce the need for plastic in milk deliveries to the University’s cafes:
Eddie pumping @OurCowMolly milk. This could be the way you see it in @SteamYard and @sheffielduni in the future?#RedefiningSingleUse#circulareconomy#plastic@granthamcsf@pvcryan pic.twitter.com/2nxRdDsB5m — EYEYE Ethical & Independent 👁️ (@EyeyeSheffield) January 29, 2019
Eddie pumping @OurCowMolly milk. This could be the way you see it in @SteamYard and @sheffielduni in the future?#RedefiningSingleUse#circulareconomy#plastic@granthamcsf@pvcryan pic.twitter.com/2nxRdDsB5m
— EYEYE Ethical & Independent 👁️ (@EyeyeSheffield) January 29, 2019
We will do a mini case study with Our Cow Molly to explore making TUoS milk supply to cafes totally plastic free.
Check out our dedicated project page for Plastics: Redefining Single-Use, which includes more information about our stakeholders. For updates on this and other news sign up to our newsletter.