Latest news with #Pulpex
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Taxpayer cash ploughed into wooden bottles under Labour's net zero drive
Millions of pounds of taxpayer cash is being ploughed into a company that makes wooden drinking bottles as part of Labour's push towards net zero. Britain's National Wealth Fund, which is fully owned by the Treasury, on Wednesday announced a £43.5m investment into Cambridgeshire-based start-up Pulpex, which makes recyclable water bottles out of wood pulp. The investment will help finance Pulpex's plan to build its first ever manufacturing plant, near Glasgow, which is expected to produce 50m wooden bottles each year and create 35 jobs in Scotland. The wood-based bottles have a lower carbon footprint than plastic or glass and Ian Murray, the Scottish Secretary, said the investment would 'aid the decarbonisation of our packaging industry and help accelerate our net zero goals as we drive delivery of clean power by 2030'. The Scottish National Investment Bank, which is fully owned by the Scottish government, is investing £10m alongside the National Wealth Fund and Pulpex ultimately hopes to raise £62m. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, hailed the investment as 'welcome news' that was 'creating jobs, sustainable growth and opportunity in Scotland'. The UK's endorsement of wood-based bottles comes as Donald Trump rails against similar products in the US. Last week, the president signed an executive order to ban the US government from buying paper straws. Mr Trump told reporters: 'We're going back to plastic straws.' Referring to paper straws, he said: 'These things don't work, I've had them many times and, on occasion, they break, they explode. If something's hot, they don't last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds. It's a ridiculous situation.' The UK Government's investment comes as Labour is scrambling to transform the UK into a net zero economy, which involves cutting the country's carbon footprint and rewiring the country's electricity grid to be based on renewable energy. A new levy on packaging, which has been dubbed a 'glass tax' by industry, will come into force later this year and is meant to encourage recycling. John Flint, the outgoing chief of the National Wealth Fund, said: 'We need to recycle more and unlock the growth potential of the circular economy. That requires sophisticated, long-term investment, both in infrastructure and packaging innovation.' Over 38.5m plastic bottles are used every day, with around 16m ending up in landfill, being burnt or littering the environment and waterways, according to Water UK. The National Wealth Fund was formerly called the UK Infrastructure Bank before it was rebranded by Labour last year. It was allocated £7.3bn in the Budget and has been tasked with investing in 'the new industries of the future'. Ministers have pledged to use the National Wealth Fund to accelerate Britain's transition away from oil and gas, including by supporting efforts to decarbonise parts of the economy that are most reliant on fossil fuels. Pulpex makes drinks bottles by moulding wood pulp into fully biodegradable containers, which it eventually plans to sell to major companies as alternatives to glass or plastic. The start-up was first formed in 2020 out of a research and development project between sustainability consultancy Pilot Lite and FTSE 100 drinks group Diageo, which owns major brands including Smirnoff and Guinness. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
19-02-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Taxpayer cash ploughed into wooden bottles under Labour's net zero drive
Millions of pounds of taxpayer cash is being ploughed into a company that makes wooden drinking bottles as part of Labour's push towards net zero. Britain's National Wealth Fund, which is fully owned by the Treasury, on Wednesday announced a £43.5m investment into Cambridgeshire-based start-up Pulpex, which makes recyclable water bottles out of wood pulp. The investment will help finance Pulpex's plan to build its first ever manufacturing plant, near Glasgow, which is expected to produce 50m wooden bottles each year and create 35 jobs in Scotland. The wood-based bottles have a lower carbon footprint than plastic or glass and Ian Murray, the Scottish Secretary, said the investment would 'aid the decarbonisation of our packaging industry and help accelerate our net zero goals as we drive delivery of clean power by 2030'. The Scottish National Investment Bank, which is fully owned by the Scottish government, is investing £10m alongside the National Wealth Fund and Pulpex ultimately hopes to raise £62m. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, hailed the investment as 'welcome news' that was 'creating jobs, sustainable growth and opportunity in Scotland'. The UK's endorsement of wood-based bottles comes as Donald Trump rails against similar products in the US. Last week, the president signed an executive order to ban the US government from buying paper straws. Mr Trump told reporters: 'We're going back to plastic straws.' Referring to paper straws, he said: 'These things don't work, I've had them many times and, on occasion, they break, they explode. If something's hot, they don't last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds. It's a ridiculous situation.' The UK Government's investment comes as Labour is scrambling to transform the UK into a net zero economy, which involves cutting the country's carbon footprint and rewiring the country's electricity grid to be based on renewable energy. A new levy on packaging, which has been dubbed a 'glass tax' by industry, will come into force later this year and is meant to encourage recycling. John Flint, the outgoing chief of the National Wealth Fund, said: 'We need to recycle more and unlock the growth potential of the circular economy. That requires sophisticated, long-term investment, both in infrastructure and packaging innovation.' Over 38.5m plastic bottles are used every day, with around 16m ending up in landfill, being burnt or littering the environment and waterways, according to Water UK. The National Wealth Fund was formerly called the UK Infrastructure Bank before it was rebranded by Labour last year. It was allocated £7.3bn in the Budget and has been tasked with investing in 'the new industries of the future'. Ministers have pledged to use the National Wealth Fund to accelerate Britain's transition away from oil and gas, including by supporting efforts to decarbonise parts of the economy that are most reliant on fossil fuels. Pulpex makes drinks bottles by moulding wood pulp into fully biodegradable containers, which it eventually plans to sell to major companies as alternatives to glass or plastic. The start-up was first formed in 2020 out of a research and development project between sustainability consultancy Pilot Lite and FTSE 100 drinks group Diageo, which owns major brands including Smirnoff and Guinness.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK's sustainable packaging project secures EPSRC grant
SustaPack, a multimillion-pound research initiative, has received a £1m ($1.2m) grant from the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to enhance the production of sustainable, paper-based packaging. Pulpex, a packaging technology company, has partnered with the University of Surrey to advance its manufacturing processes for creating environmentally friendly bottles from natural wood fibres. Pulpex CEO Scott Winston said: 'We're excited to strengthen our existing collaboration with the University of Surrey to enhance our technologies and processes. 'Our SustaPack partnership will help us advance safe, sustainable packaging solutions, enabling brand owners to meet net-zero targets. 'It gives consumers sustainable choices, delivers answers for brand owners and enables supply chains and retailers to deliver their carbon footprint reduction goals - a priority for all.' The collaboration is part of a broader effort to address the manufacturing challenges associated with next-generation sustainable packaging for liquids. The project, supported by the UK Research and Innovation co-investing programme, will focus on refining Pulpex's patented technology. This technology has already indicated degradable bottles that can be recycled within existing paper waste streams, offering an alternative to conventional plastic materials. A critical aspect of this research is to improve the multilayered barrier coating of the packaging. This coating is essential to prevent leaks and protect the quality of the contents by preventing oxygen permeation. The team aims to develop more energy- and water-efficient processes for applying these coatings, which could also extend the shelf life of packaged goods. The University of Surrey's multidisciplinary team will investigate the use of thermal imaging and AI to detect and immediately correct defects in wet coatings. This approach could lead to significant advancements in product quality by identifying and eliminating sources of imperfections. By leveraging AI-driven computer vision techniques, the project aspires to achieve a 100% reliability rate in the production of sustainable packaging. The potential outcomes of SustaPack could redefine industry standards for eco-friendly packaging, aiding brand owners in meeting stringent environmental regulations and offering consumers alternatives that combat plastic pollution. "UK's sustainable packaging project secures EPSRC grant" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
