Partnership tackles contamination in materials dredged from the ocean

The University has formed a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership with ҹèÊÓƵ company Recycle It Global
The ҹèÊÓƵ Breakwater

Partnership tackles contamination in materials dredged from the ocean

The University has formed a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership with ҹèÊÓƵ company Recycle It Global
Two ҹèÊÓƵ organisations – the ҹèÊÓƵ and Recycle it Global (RiG) – have launched a collaborative project to tackle the complex challenges posed by contaminated marine dredged materials.
A new Knowledge Transfer Partnership will unite the University’s research expertise in environmental chemistry and sustainable construction methods with the company’s work to develop innovative marine bioremediation technologies.
The project will involve the development of an innovative technique to remove contaminants from a range of waste streams, with a particular focus on materials dredged from the marine environment.
Those materials will be treated using innovative marine bioremediation technologies developed by RIG to sustainably treat contaminated dredged materials.
The technology, to be initially deployed at RIG’s base at Cattedown, will be adaptable to many different biochemical variables and enable the company to process and land large volumes of dredged material from local waters and those across the UK that cannot be managed through conventional disposal routes.
The project addresses the absence of safe, cost-effective disposal methods for these materials, transforming a regulatory challenge into a commercial opportunity by creating valuable construction materials and supporting the company's expansion into the £20 bn global dredging market.

RIG’s mission is to engineer solutions that address the complex challenges within the solid and fluid waste sectors, providing new life for materials once destined for landfill. This project allows RIG to accelerate our development of our marine dredging solution, by recovering usable materials and decontaminating the true waste. The UK and rest of world have an urgent need to find a cost effective and sustainable solution to dealing with contaminated dredging waste generated in ports around the world. With the inevitable tightening of contamination limits in the UK on the horizon, it becomes even more urgent that a solution is found.

Oscar Milverton Gatta
Co-Founder and CTO of Recycle it Global
The University’s participation in the initiative builds on more than four decades of involvement in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships , and involves experts in chemistry from its School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and structural engineers from the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics .
Between them, they have expertise in the measurement of contaminants, recycling and reuse of industrial waste and the creation of sustainable construction products, to ensure that various forms of contaminated materials do not pose a long-term environmental threat.

At-sea disposal is no longer an acceptable first option for dredged sediments, which presents a significant challenge on how to deal with the large volumes produced during capital and maintenance dredging projects. This collaboration is an exciting opportunity to see how chemistry and biotechnology can combine to produce a material with potential for land-based reuse.

Mark FitzsimonsProfessor Mark Fitzsimons
Professor of Environmental Chemistry

Principal Investigator

This project exemplifies how academic expertise can be translated into impactful, real-world solutions. By combining the ҹèÊÓƵ’s strengths in environmental chemistry, marine science and bio-remediation with Recycle It Global’s industrial innovation, the project will address a critical challenge facing ports worldwide. Developing scalable, saltwater-adapted bio-remediation technologies has the potential to transform contaminated dredged material into valuable resources, supporting both environmental protection and the circular economy. We are proud to support a flagship ҹèÊÓƵ-based project with clear global relevance.

Lee DurndellDr Lee Durndell
Associate Professor in Clean Energy Transitions

Co-Investigator 

This project is game-changing because for the first time it will make it possible to utilise contaminated dredged waste to produce safe construction materials. This new source of material will be a potential solution for the global sand crisis.

Boksun KimDr Boksun Kim
Associate Professor of Structural Engineering

Co-Investigator 
Oscar Milverton Gatta, Co-Founder and CTO of Recycle it Global, with KTP Associate and Bioremediation Scientist Samson Akpotu and Environmental Scientist Alisha Harris
Oscar Milverton Gatta, Co-Founder and CTO of Recycle it Global, with KTP Associate and Bioremediation Scientist Samson Akpotu and Environmental Scientist Alisha Harris
 

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