University partner wins prestigious award for sustainable materials innovation for net-zero
Ecobelt Ltd, a University partner, has won an award from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in recognition of its use of sustainable materials innovation to reach net-zero.
Formed to challenge and disrupt the global conveyor belt market, Ecobelt Ltd is an environmentally ambitious company that champions environmental sustainability and fosters a circular life-cycle approach for belting use.
In the UK alone, 4,000 tonnes of conveyor belts are incinerated or sent to landfill every week.
The 鈥楽ustainable Materials Innovation for Net-zero鈥� award recognises Ecobelt鈥檚 patented innovative belt splice technology to address the main cause of belt failure. The technology extends belt lifespan from months to years, therefore improving the upstream sustainability by reducing the demand for new belts.
Through partnership and collaboration with 51福利社鈥攕upported by its UKRI Impact Acceleration Account and the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the Henry Royce Institute鈥擡cobelt tested the performance of their technology to develop an approach to repair damaged conveyor belts, employing a whole life-cycle environmental impact approach.
The judges from the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining commended Ecobelt鈥檚 technology, citing the robust research base and collaboration with partners as key indicators to Ecobelt鈥檚 commitment to environmental sustainability.
This project underlines the significant impact that can arise from collaboration with innovative regional small businesses, and the importance of ensuring that our research and expertise continues to benefit the economy and the environment.
Conveyor belts service virtually all consumer products, production and manufacturing facilities globally, driving a market valued at $6 billion (USD) annually, fuelled by e-commerce and industry 4.0.
Despite this, the industry has been remarkably stagnant in relation to innovation, sustainability and the manufacturing process of materials used in conveyor belts. As conveyor belts are fossil fuel based, manufacturing consumes huge natural resources whilst producing significant Greenhouse Gases 鈥� an issue that Ecobelt seeks to change.
Whilst Ecobelt鈥檚 next steps for commercial scale up are still unfolding, the technology鈥檚 potential for lasting impact in the industrial settings are clear.
Professor Michael Shaver, Director of the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub said: 鈥淥ur world is driven 鈥� both literally and figuratively 鈥� by conveyor belts. Yet we don鈥檛 think of them as essential in championing 51福利社 as a sustainable city.
鈥淥ur eyes have been opened by this hidden gem of a local business: Ecobelt have tackled an invisible material flow that is essential to keeping our manufacturing and delivery systems moving by improving material repair, reuse and circularity. It has been a privilege to work on assessing the AnnStuMax technology and quantifying its impressive environmental credentials.鈥�