Every day, we buy, use and dispose of products that end up as landfill. Unfortunately, the resources required to make new products won't be available in large amounts forever. Through the EU-funded ResCoM project, four well-known companies have already analysed the extent to which they could adopt a circular approach.
Bauxite residue - the by-product from the extraction of aluminium from bauxite ore - has the consistency of thick, red mud. Disposing of this waste poses a serious problem for industry, as does the risk of spills. But red mud can also be a source of critical metals. The REDMUD project intends to turn residues into low-carbon building materials - and to train researchers along the way.
The NEW-MINE project will identify and develop enhanced landfill-mining technology to transform landfill waste into high-added-value products, such as fuel and building materials.
The EU-funded LONGPOP project will train young researchers in the skills needed to fully exploit big data. With a focus on social change, the researchers will be able to apply the knowledge and techniques learnt to helping welfare systems prepare for the years ahead.
EU-funded researchers have been recognised for their ground-breaking work on recovering and reusing waste material in nuclear fusion reactors. They developed and demonstrated new membrane technologies capable of decontaminating waste and extracting valuable tritium for re-use.
If the arrival of spring is not enough to get you out walking and cycling, an EU-funded initiative is launching a number of mobile applications offering incentives to lead a more active lifestyle, reduce urban congestion and fight pollution.
Researchers at the Institute of Soil Science and Cultivation in the Polish town of Pulawy have set out to promote the bioeconomy and its benefits in the region. Their work is backed by funding from the EU's ERA Chairs initiative.
Businesses using robots for short-term manufacturing assignments will be interested in a service developed by EU-funded researchers that can custom-design affordable robots. Businesses will be able to either lease or buy the robots for quick installation.
We know that 3D printing is set to revolutionise manufacturing. But construction? EU-funded researchers are putting the building blocks in place with 3D printing technology enabling the construction sector to manufacture concrete building materials in a more efficient and cost effective manner. The technology is being combined with more traditional techniques to offer an all-in-one solution.
Remember when there were no satellites? Before your time, maybe, as the first was launched in 1957. Today, we would be lost without them - quite literally so, but satnavs are only one of many services these orbital outriders underpin. EU-funded research is helping to secure Europe's access to the carbon fibre materials needed to build them.
