Cranfield University has a track record of waste management, landfill science and landfill mining research, and been involved in a number of European-level enhanced landfill mining projects. Part of our ongoing involvement with the European Enhanced Landfill Mining Consortium [EURELCO] has allowed us to secure funding to establish a UK enhanced landfill mining [ELFM] network, which companies are invited to be involved.
The aim of the network is to develop an active and engaged community through which a multidisciplinary vision and research agenda associated with enhanced landfill mining will be developed. UK ELFM network is timely, the first of its kind in the UK, and will contribute to UK’s innovation performance and accelerate knowledge transfer.
Landfill mining capability is developing, but is not a new concept. In recent years a growing interest is evident in ELFM for site remediation, resource recovery and energy production. In addition to resource recovery, ELFM enables land reclamation. A number of legacy landfill sites have been, or will be, remediated land. This enables construction of houses, industrial premises or large infrastructure projects. Cranfield University will coordinate this network, bringing together experts working across the waste sector with the aim of driving innovation and collaboration with regards to ELFM activities in the UK.
Through this network, Cranfield University will:
Develop and promote the UK enhanced landfill mining community to be of national and international significance. Cranfield University is keen to engage individuals with expertise from cutting-edge materials and chemical science engineering to social and physical sciences, including translation technology specialists and relevant end users/industry and government organisations from within the UK and overseas.
- Provide opportunities for debate and dialogue, shared problem solving, and collaboration;
- Developing a UK ELFM roadmap to be used as a UK-specific framework for future financially-viable ELFM projects;
- Enabling project teams to develop a sustained portfolio of funding and levering UK investments for challenge-focused multidisciplinary community to work together, or facilitating R&D and demonstration projects;
- Informing government policy by communicating challenges and opportunities of landfill recovery, redevelopment and reuse, and by providing an evidence base to support policy development that will assist the government to deliver environmental and energy policy objectives
The network is open to academia, industry and public sector, and the launch event will be free to attend.
The initial funding covers the development of a network website and the first kick-off event; there will then be a small annual cost from each academic and industrial member to cover ongoing network events. Each partner organisation will be promoted on the website, and any projects (past, present or future) relevant to ELFM will also be publicised.
Why join the network?
- Business development: finding out what is happening within the sector and providing new ideas for the future expansion of your core business.
- Collaborative working: Networking is all about building valuable relationships and developing new and interesting approaches of doing business or research.
- Professional development and knowledge expansion by accessing a shared knowledge base through contact with like-minded individuals and improving your chance of success for future projects and collaboration
- Market opportunities and exploring new ventures and obtaining informed, genuine feedback that helps you make the right decisions.
- Raising your company or organisation profile
The success of the network depends mostly on the quality and diversity of participants and the dynamics of the debates in order to achieve the aim and objectives the network.
As the process of setting up the network begins, Cranfield University is seeking expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who are interested in joining the launch event later in the year. Please contact Stuart Wagland directly (s.t.wagland@cranfield.ac.uk) if you wish to join this network.