Biobased coatings for paper packaging
Paper based packaging has seen an increase in use recently, driven by the increase in home deliveries and online shopping. As a renewable and biodegradable source of packaging it has a number of advantages over [...]
The Royal Mint’s Journey in Electronic Waste Management
TransFIRe researcher, Dr Masoud Ahmadinia, has recently finished a project working with The Royal Mint on their innovative initiative to extract precious metals from the circuit boards of electronic waste, such as laptops and mobile [...]
Mapping resource consumption and emissions in the Foundation Industries
Understanding the intricate flows of resource consumption and emissions within various industries is paramount in pursuing a sustainable future. As part of TransFIRe’s Work Stream 1 (WS1), we are working on a ground-breaking study that [...]
Barriers and enablers for use of compressed earth blocks
Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) are a low carbon, low cost construction product that are considered by many to be the go-to sustainable masonry wall solution for low-cost buildings. However, although their use was prototyped in [...]
Investigation into the composition of commercial glass reveals energy saving potential
TransFIRe researchers from the Sheffield Hallam University have been investigating the composition of commercial glass currently present in the UK market following a lack of recent research and data on the subject. The study involved [...]
Our shared understanding: a circular economy in the built environment
We need to transition to a circular economy if we are to solve our global systemic challenges: climate change mitigation and adaption, biodiversity loss and social equity. We won’t hit our net zero targets if [...]
The efficient use of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) in reducing global emissions
A draft copy of a cross industry paper, which included contributions from TranFIRe researcher Michal Drewniok, has reported the current and future levels of availability of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) in concrete and [...]
What to do about plastics? Lessons from a study of UK plastics flows
A new study of UK plastics flows co-authored by TransFIRe researchers Michał Drewniok and Jonathan Cullen shows that 1/3 of related green house gas (GHG) emissions could be reduced by increasing recycling capacity and reducing demand. Plastics [...]
Mapping material use and embodied carbon in UK construction
TransFIRe researchers have co-authored a paper in which they quantified and benchmarked the material use and embodied carbon to the deliver the 'core and shell' of typical residential and non-residential buildings. In this paper embodied [...]