We are living through a climate crisis. Unknown to many, a significant contributor to global warming is construction and the built environment, contributing over 39% of global CO2 emissions. Low Carbon Materials (LCM) is a green-tech start-up and Earthshot Prize finalist, which develops environmentally-friendly, carbon-negative products for construction. LCM's flagship products - carbon-negative aggregates manufactured from waste materials, are used for the production of carbon-neutral concrete and asphalt. However, a primary aim of LCM is to continually improve the carbon footprint and circularity of its materials in order to create maximum positive environmental and societal impact. Recently LCM identified a new potential supply chain, a different type/source of waste. The purpose of this project is to investigate the suitability of this waste as a sustainable circular feedstock for aggregate manufacture - specifically for decarbonising asphalt. Currently, the waste is sent to landfill or incineration. We at LCM believe that this waste could have value; economic value as a feedstock for aggregate manufacture, and significant value in our battle against climate change. We believe that by reusing the product, all of its components can be recovered/reused/recycled. Moreover, by reusing the waste for the production of carbon-negative aggregate, we can avoid the significant CO2 emissions that would arise from incineration. Thus, in this project, the bulk of the effort will be focussed on a technical investigation into the suitability of this waste as an alternative supply chain for the manufacture of carbon-negative aggregate for asphalt with the aim of i) developing/testing a small (lab)-scale prototype aggregate ii) demonstrating the use of the aggregate in carbon-neutral applications and calculating carbon credentials and iii) scaling-up aggregate production.

Low Carbon Materials (LCM) is an SME (and Earthshot 2022 finalist) based in the North East, which develops environmentally-friendly, low carbon products for the construction industry with the aim of helping to decarbonise the built environment. Our flagship product - OSTO - is a carbon-negative aggregate for concrete blockwork which is produced using a combination of waste products. OSTO can be added to concrete as a partial replacement for commonly-used, carbon-intensive lightweight aggregates. The negative carbon footprint for OSTO comes from (i) CO2 sequestration via carbonation - the aggregate itself permanently captures CO2 as it cures (ii) avoided CO2 emissions - the waste we utilise would otherwise be incinerated, releasing a significant volume of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The carbonation of OSTO is a passive process whereby environmental CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere. Carbonation is a process, which is inherent in all concrete and is beneficial to the environment, but passive carbonation occurs very slowly and is far from optimal. At LCM we believe that there is scope to significantly enhance and accelerate this process and the aim of this project is to explore new, optimised and scalable approaches for the carbonation of OSTO. Any method which enables a greater extent of carbonation will increase the amount of CO2 permanently removed from the atmosphere within the aggregate.

Plastech Innovation's mission is to identify plastic waste streams from various sources and apply technical know-how to produce useful innovative materials, creating value from the valueless whilst providing positive social and environmental impacts in the UK and globally. It uses its patent-pending technology to transform waste plastic that would otherwise be sent to landfill or incineration, into an aggregate for concrete and other construction materials. The technology is a market disruptor, enabling construction companies to partially replace sand in traditional concrete mixes. This replacement significantly lowers the carbon footprint of concrete, an industry responsible for 8% global CO2 production. Plastic production is predicted to double in the next 10 years, meaning a solution that repurposes waste plastic is needed urgently. Globally, 50 billion tonnes of sand are used annually in construction; moreover, not all sand can be used for construction due to the particle shape. Construction-grade sand is usually dredged from rivers and sea-beds, leading to significantly damaging impacts on ecosystems, destroying habitats for marine and freshwater life. The use of aggregate derived from waste plastic will reduce demand for such sand, reduce damage to the environment and offer a solution to global shortages in construction-grade sand. Natasha Boulding, Plastech's CEO and Co-founder, is the lead applicant for this proposal. Plastech Innovation registered as a private limited company in September 2019\. It now has many ongoing innovative projects and collaborates with a variety of organisations in pursuit of fulfilling its vision. This project will allow the company to diversify its product range by developing a scalable process to achieve structural improvements for plastic aggregates in concrete.

"Plastech Innovation's mission is to identify plastic waste streams from various sources and apply our technical knowledge to produce useful innovative materials, creating value from the valueless whilst providing positive social and environmental impacts in the UK and globally. This proposal exploits our patentable technology to transform plastic waste into a partial sand substitute for use in concrete and other construction materials. We will contribute to a circular and sustainable economy by diverting post-consumer, post-industrial and pre-manufacture waste plastic away from landfills and incineration. Plastic production is predicted to double in the next 10 years, meaning a solution that repurposes waste plastic is needed urgently. Globally, 50 billion tonnes of sand are used annually in construction; moreover, not all sand can be used for construction due to the particle shape. Construction-grade sand is usually dredged from rivers and sea-beds, leading to significantly damaging impacts on ecosystems, destroying habitats for marine and freshwater life. The use of aggregate derived from waste plastic will reduce demand for such sand, reduce damage to the environment and offer a solution to global shortages in construction-grade sand. _'For waste management companies, local authorities and_ _plastic manufacturing_ _industries_ _who want new disposal routes for undesirable mixed and low-grade plastic waste,_ _Plastech Innovation provides an alternative_ _that is more cost-effective and eco-friendly than current disposal methods.'_ _'For construction companies_ _who want to reduce transportation costs and their environmental impact,_ _our innovative plastic aggregate is a product_ _that reduces the use of heavy natural aggregates by replacing them with a lightweight eco-friendly alternative.'_ The plastics industry produces only 3% of the mass produced by the concrete industry. The substitution of just 1.3% of construction-grade sand with plastic aggregate would eliminate global plastic pollution. Targeting and disrupting such vast markets, means our aggregate could help provide solutions to some of the most threatening global challenges."