Sustainable PLFs Summit

Sustainable PLFs Summit 2 October 2024

Royal Society of Chemistry Burlington House, London

Welcome to the Sustainable PLFs Summit One year on from the launch of the PLFs roadmap, we are delighted to share the progress we have made towards the ambition to achieve a transition to sustainable PLFs by 2040. Transitions are complex. Transitioning from fossil-fuel to sustainable PLFs will require significant technological innovations, new regulatory frameworks, infrastructure investments as well as new skills and business models. Achieving this will require a concerted, coordinated effort from us all, across the whole innovation ecosystem. We will continue catalysing the Sustainable PLFs 2040 initiative: from innovation to transition and today we have brought you an exciting programme from a diverse group of leaders to share achievements and learnings and discuss key challenges and barriers still to be addressed. We hope this event will provide inspiration and galvanise further action and collaborations to ensure together, the industry-wide transition to sustainable PLFs is realised by 2040.

Dr Annette Doherty OBE President of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Professor Anju Massey-Brooke Chair for the Sustainable PLFs Summit Professor Anju Massey-Brooker is the programme lead for the RSC’s Sustainable Polymers in Liquid Formulations (PLFs) programme. In this role Anju acted as the secretariat for the RSC’s Sustainable PLFs cross-sectoral Industry Task Force, which led to the creation and publication of the Sustainable PLFs roadmap. Currently, Anju holds several honorary positions, including professor in practice at Durham University, senior research fellow at the University of Birmingham and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She was also a former member of the EPSRC strategic advisory team for physical sciences and circular economy. Anju has successfully led bids to win several multi-million euro/pound European Commission and UKRI funded high impact private-public sector collaborative programmes and acts as the project coordinator for these programmes. Before joining the RSC, Anju held the position of R&D director-principal scientist at Procter & Gamble and has 28 years’ experience in leading product and technology innovation programmes, working on some of their best-known brands that resulted in several billion dollars of sales globally and enabled their expansion into new markets. During her career, Anju has won multiple innovation awards and is an inventor on over 50 patents. Anju holds a PhD in organometallic chemistry from the University of Cambridge.

Dr Kate Carlisle Programme Manager, Sustainable Polymers

Kate is our programme manager for sustainable polymers, coordinating and connecting the different strands of the Sustainable PLFs 2040 initiative. Kate has a life sciences background and over 15 years’ experience in market research. She joined the RSC in 2010 as the business intelligence manager and then as customer experience manager. Prior to this, Kate spent six years working in the medical technology consulting sector as a senior analyst at Cambridge Consultants Ltd and in the healthcare sector with Medipex Ltd, NHS Innovation hub, helping assess and commericalise novel healthcare interventions to deliver patient benefit. Kate holds a PhD in molecular immunology from the University of East Anglia.

Dr Annette Doherty OBE President of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Annette has 35 years of international experience working within the pharmaceutical sector, including at Warner-Lambert, Pfizer and most recently GSK where she was senior vice president, global head of product development and clinical supply. She has been directly involved in the research, development and launch of over 30 new medicines in respiratory, infectious diseases, cancer and inflammatory conditions. She is the recently appointed chair of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and is also a non-executive at the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She holds various trustee positions including at Addenbrookes Hospital Charitable Trust (ACT), St John Ambulance charity and member at the Tonbridge Grammar School Academy. She is a council member at Innovate UK, part of UKRI. She is currently senior advisor at Frazier Life Sciences, a team investing in and building companies developing and commercialising novel therapeutics. She has a BSc in chemistry (1982) and a PhD in organic synthesis (1985) from Imperial College London and has conducted postdoctoral research with a NATO fellowship at Ohio State University (1985-1987). In 2009, Annette was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to the pharmaceutical sector. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and an honorary fellow of the British Pharmacological Society. She is the current president of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2024-2026).

Dr Jo Reynolds Director of Science and Communities

Jo is a member of the leadership team and director of science and communities at the Royal Society of Chemistry. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the non-profit sector, leading multiple diverse teams focused mainly on scientific research, community engagement and strategy. She is also a trustee of Leukaemia UK. Jo joined the RSC in 2017 and is proud to have overseen a significant increase in RSC’s national and international voice and influence. This includes the RSC’s work with the chemical sciences community and its member networks on inclusion and diversity, sustainability, thought leadership, re-thinking reward and recognition, accelerating entrepreneurship, strategic partnerships, policy and parliamentary affairs, public engagement, and the Chemists’ Community Fund. Prior to this, she spent the majority of her career in two major biomedical charities, Cancer Research UK and the Wellcome Trust. She was responsible for developing and evaluating Cancer Research UK’s first five-year research strategy. She also led a programme of change across their UK network of centres and transformed their brand and engagement with the research community. Jo has a degree and PhD in biochemistry from the University of Cambridge and is also a qualified executive coach.

Sustainable PLFs Summit speakers

Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London

Taking a systems approach to delivering on the PLFs mission

Dr Anna Birney CEO at the School of Systems Change Talk summary In a world where we see so much change, and with so many challenges in front of us to address, we can often be paralysed by overwhelm. Despite our innovations and interventions, despite even changes in governments, rising temperatures and bubbling tensions, the patterns of our everyday keep going. We also see that the world is alive with possibility, where people are looking for new ways of thinking, acting and being to embrace complexity and address the challenges of our times. Practitioners, like those attending this event, are developing approaches and tools that enable deep transformation and seek positive futures, to catalyse and cultivate the change. This presentation will share why we need a new, systems approach to change – and how it might support missions such as that in PLFs. It will explore both systems change as an outcome we are seeking to achieve, as well as the processes and practices required to get us there.

Biography Anna is passionate about designing and facilitating systems change programmes that support people, communities and organisations transform their practice. In 2016, she launched the School of System Change, which is seeking to build an international learning community of change makers using systemic practices to address the complex challenges of our times. Anna has coached and lead inquiries on a wide number of projects and initiatives across sectors and systems – for example the Marine CoLab and #Oneless project, Unilever’s theory of systems change, Bosch Foundation strategies, Scottish Climate Assembly and Boundless Roots Community. Anna is the author of Cultivating System Change: A Practitioner’s Companion which is based on her PhD.

anna-birney-06571330

@AnnasQuestions

Mission 1

Advance circular economy infrastructure for PLFs by 2030

Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London

The economic and environmental benefits of bio-based and biodegradable products and materials Dr Jen Vanderhoven Chief Operating Officer, Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA)

Talk summary As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, driven by human consumption, so does the temperature of the planet. This is causing disease, food shortages, fuel poverty and a loss of biodiversity. We simply cannot afford to keep digging up fossil resources and releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The transition towards bio-based and biodegradable products and materials offers significant economic and environmental benefits. These materials, derived from renewable biological sources like plants, algae, or microorganisms, have the potential to replace traditional fossil-based products and contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy. These solutions will help to tackle global challenges and to create opportunities in the production of agri-foods, chemicals, materials, energy and fuel, as well as in health and the environment.

Biography Jen graduated from the University of Sheffield, with a first-class Masters of Biological Sciences in 2004 and a PhD in Biochemistry in 2007. Over a 20-year progressive career in biotechnology, spanning both higher education and the commercial sector, Jen has held roles in R&D, sales and marketing, business development, and business change and transformation. Jen is the COO of the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA), that champions the industrial bioeconomy to accelerate the development and adoption of bio-based and biodegradable materials and products through advocacy, collaboration, and education. Jen also runs her own consultancy, FREY, providing expert advice to clients in the biotech sector.

Sustainable carbon ambition for the UK chemicals industry. Research & Innovation funding enabling the transition to a green carbon economy Dr Peter Clark Head of Chemistry & Industrial Biotechnology, Innovate UK Business Connect Talk summary

Biography Peter is head of chemistry and industrial biotechnology at Innovate UK Business Connect. One of his key roles is to identify, develop and deliver innovation programmes and activities where chemistry and industrial biotechnology can play a key enabling role to accelerate innovation for the benefit of UK plc. Peter has a detailed understanding of key challenges and opportunities for innovators in chemistry and industrial biotechnology and works with Innovate UK, and other governmental and private sector stakeholders, developing new programmes and initiatives to help the UK to prosper from net zero. Peter holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Nottingham. Prior to joining Innovate UK Business Connect, Peter worked in Australia, across research and innovation, consulting and managing sustainability programmes for the chemicals sector.

The Innovate UK Study ‘UKCHEM 2050: Sustainable Carbon for the UK Chemicals Industry’ suggests that by 2050, the UK chemicals industry will have doubled in size, but will have significantly lowered its GHG emissions, sourcing 80% of its carbon requirements from non-virgin fossil, sustainable carbon sources. The study has been informed through engagement with 300+ stakeholders, detailed desktop assessment and economic analysis. It articulates the challenges and opportunities of transitioning the chemical sector away from virgin fossil carbon as feedstock and explores multiple future scenarios based on different technology approaches. Peter will provide an overview of the key findings and next steps from the study as it relates to sustainable PLFs. Peter will also provide insights on funding opportunities to help this transition.

Sustainable chemical technologies: A systems approach (CSCT)

Professor Matthew Davidson FRSC University of Bath

Biography Matthew Davidson is Whorrod professor of sustainable chemical technologies, executive director of the University of Bath Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change and executive director of the Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies. His research focuses on the application of molecular chemistry and catalysis to sustainable chemical processes such as manufacture of renewable fuels, chemicals and plastics. He graduated in chemistry from the University of Wales, Swansea and received a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Following a research fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge, he held lectureships in chemistry at the University of Cambridge and Durham University before being appointed to a chair of chemistry at Bath in 1999. Much of his work involves close collaboration with industry and he has held a Royal Society Industry Fellowship. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a previous recipient of its Harrison Memorial Prize.

Talk summary The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Chemical Technologies (CSCT) lies at the core of the University of Bath’s research, training and innovation activities. It provides a research base and talent pipeline for UK industry and academia that integrates systems thinking, public engagement and entrepreneurship with fundamental and applied research in sustainable materials. This talk will highlight how CSCT integrates chemical technologies, such as sustainable polymers, with system thinking as well as with regional, national and international research and innovation ecosystems. In particular, in a new model for place-based research and innovation, CSCT partners with the Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies (iCAST), a Bath-led translational initiative for cleantech innovation in partnership over 120 companies, the University of Oxford and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (NCC and CPI).

Polymers from renewable resources

Professor Charlotte Williams OBE FRS Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, UK Talk summary

Biography Charlotte Williams is a professor of inorganic chemistry and an EPSRC established career research fellow in the department of chemistry at the university of Oxford. Her research interests lie in polymerisation catalysis, inorganic and polymer chemistry. She is particularly focussed on carbon dioxide utilisation by copolymerisation and on the production of bio-derived polyesters, polycarbonates and block polymers. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society. Her work has been recently recognised by the Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society (2022), the Royal Society of Chemistry Tilden Medal (2021), an OBE for Services to Chemistry (2020), Macro Group UK Medal (2019), DeChema Otto Roelen Catalysis Medal (2018), The UK Catalysis Hub Sir John Meurig Thomas Medal (2017) and the Royal Society of Chemistry Corday Morgan Medal (2016).

This lecture will begin with a systems analysis of the key challenges and interventions needed to ensure the global polymer system achieves both sustainability and net zero carbon dioxide emissions. The lecture will exemplify key concepts with recent work, from the Williams research team, in making polymers from renewable resources including biomass and carbon dioxide. The properties for those polymers, including in aqueous solutions, will be presented together with the

end-life degradation options. Charlotte Williams Research (https://cwilliamsresearch.web.ox.ac.uk)

Mission 2

Develop and scale biodegradable PLFs by 2030

Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London

Sustainable polymers for a clean future, Prosperity Partnership

Professor Steve Howdle University of Nottingham

Dr Amy Goddard CRODA

Talk summary Despite the importance of PLFs to society and the global economy, there has been little coordinated effort to address the sustainability of PLFs. There is a clear requirement to make these vital ingredients more environmentally friendly: could they be developed from renewable resources, and could they be biodegradable after their use? This is the focus of our Prosperity Partnership, where Croda, the University of Nottingham and the University of York are working to catalyse the changes required, using joint expertise to accelerate innovation. We are targeting the development of commercially viable, novel bio-based and biodegradable polymers, aiming to offer more sustainable alternatives to traditional PLFs e.g. polyacrylates. On this journey we are widening the scope of available building blocks and developing knowledge about how structural changes in molecular architecture influence biodegradability and end use performance. This data will be exploited to optimise design, development and production of desirable functional polymers.

Sustainable polymers for a clean future, Prosperity Partnership

Dr Amy Goddard CRODA

Professor Steve Howdle University of Nottingham

Biography Dr Amy Goddard obtained her PhD in polymer chemistry from the University of Nottingham, and has over 12 years of industrial experience, designing products for a wide range of business markets across the consumer care and life sciences sectors. Amy is a research and technology manager for Synthesis and Analytical at Croda, and currently has responsibility for strategic development of chemistry platforms across the business, where sustainability is a topic of significant importance.

Biography Steve’s research focuses on sustainable chemistry and in particular on the utilisation of supercritical carbon dioxide for polymer synthesis, polymer processing and preparation of novel polymeric materials. He has published over 330 peer- reviewed papers in this field and graduated 63 PhD students. Most recently the focus has been upon 3D printing and the development of new monomers and polymers from renewable resources. Steve is professor and head of the School of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham. He held a Royal Society University Research Fellowship (1991-1999) and a full Chair since 2001.

He has received several awards including the Jerwood-Salters’ Environment Award for Green Chemistry (2001); RSC Corday – Morgan Medal and Award (2001); Royal Society – Wolfson Research Merit Award (2003); RSC Interdisciplinary Award (2005); DECHEMA-Award of the Max Buchner Research Foundation (2006); RSC/SCI Macro Group UK Medal (2008); and the Hanson Medal of the IChemE (2009).

Assessing the biodegradability of water-soluble polymers in standardised laboratory methods

Professor Andreas Künkel Vice-Président, Head of Biopolymer Research, BASF

Talk summary Regulations worldwide are rapidly developing for polymeric materials. A key concern is their uncertain environmental persistency. There is increasing need to identify and evaluate testing guidelines for assessing biodegradability to determine applicability and limitations for polymeric materials. In reviewing biodegradation testing guidelines, several methods have been identified, that may be used to assess the biodegradability of soluble and poorly soluble polymeric materials. Methods such as the OECD test guidelines have been developed for biodegradation for soluble/poorly soluble low molecular weight substances. Whereas media- specific methods e.g. ISO and ASTM test guidelines have focused on insoluble plastic materials, unfortunately, systematic investigations about their applicability for polymers are lacking and there’s limited publicly available data. Questions regarding their laboratory variability, suitable reference

materials and stringency remain. In view of the dynamic regulatory atmosphere, these knowledge gaps need to be urgently filled. We will present a study investigating the applicability of OECD and ASTM methods focusing on respirometric end points to study biodegradability of water-soluble polymers. Biography Andreas undertook his PhD at the Max-Planck- Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg. Having joined BASF’s biotech department in 1999, he then undertook various marketing positions for Fine Chemicals and ecoflex ® and ecovio ® focusing on strategy and new business development. Since 2010, Andreas became head of biodegradable and biobased polymer research and leads as executive expert and vice president for biodegradable and biobased materials corporate program.

PLFs – Designing for consumer trust, evolving regulations and biodegradability test challenges Chris Finnegan Safety and Sustainability Science Leader, Unilever Talk summary

Biography Chris Finnegan (MPhil) is a safety and sustainability science leader and one of Unilever’s foremost experts in environmental fate of ingredients. Chris has been with Unilever for 35 years with over 30 years in the field of environmental risk assessment and more specifically determining the fate and biodegradability of Unilever’s chemical portfolio as well as supporting Unilever science and technologies programmes for safe and sustainable design innovations. Externally, Chris has published in these areas and has also participated in cross industry task forces for the advancements of biodegradability test methods and env risk assessment of chemicals with the CEFIC LRi programme, ECETOC and AISE.

This presentation will be covering some of the key externalities shaping Unilever’s sustainability ambition, spotlighting the pivotal role of designing for consumer trust. Additionally, focusing on the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding chemicals and specifically polymers, including the heightened focus on persistent chemicals. Central to the discussion will be the technical challenges and advancements imperative for substantiating the biodegradability of polymers, and the dynamic interplay between regulations and technological innovation, underscoring the necessity for collaborative efforts to navigate these complexities effectively to transition towards the next generation of safe and sustainable by design polymer technologies for FMCG liquid formulations.

Key technology enablers to advance sustainable PLFs transition

Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London

Digital transformation

Dr Ashmita Randhawa Director of R&D at Sunderland Software City and Digital Catapult, North East & Tees Valley Talk summary

Biography Dr Ashmita Randhawa is a biomedical engineer turned social scientist. Having worked in corporate R&D for Procter & Gamble for over six years formulating consumer goods products, she pivoted career and discipline to focus on understanding the impact of policymaking on the development of STEM skills, completing her PhD at University of Oxford: here she focused on understanding how education and policy systems can have an impact on educational innovation. Ashmita is the director of R&D at Sunderland Software City and leads the work for the Digital Catapult in the North East and Tees Valley, supporting businesses on their digital transformation journeys. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at the SKOPE Research Centre, University of Oxford and Visiting Professor at the National Innovation Centre for Data, Newcastle University.

Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability is fast becoming a prerequisite for successful business partnerships, with an increasing emphasis on sustainable innovation as an enabler of not just efficiencies for a business, but also demonstration of sustainability success. This talk will focus on the role digital technologies such as AI, the industrial internet of things, distributed ledger technology and even the use of digital twins can play in realising an organisation’s sustainability goals. Ways in which these technologies have been deployed in the supply chains of businesses will be presented, drawing on the Digital Catapult’s Digital Supply Chain Hub, which aims to make supply chains not just digital but more sustainable using these technologies. The talk will also focus on the need for business to think about future workforce capabilities, drawing on the collaborative work of the Digital Catapult with Innovate UK’s Workforce Foresighting Hub.

A multiscale modelling approach on digital twins & product development

Dr Lia Argentou R&D Senior Scientist, Reckitt Talk summary Digital twinning, although nothing new, has only started being actively utilised in the formula development within the FMCG industry. In this work, we explore the use of a multi-scale in silico approach towards the creation of a digital twin of a formulation. Various computational tools were utilised to identify the key chemico-thermo-physical variables controlling the formulation performance and its processing. At the molecular scale, models of an API formulation were constructed, as close to the real formulation as possible, utilising the Schrodinger software. A wax system formulation was modelled containing an API, a lipid matrix with and without the presence of an emulsifier. At the continuum scale, modelling software was utilised to create a digital twin of the manufacturing process and evaluate the impact of processing conditions.

Combining insights from both modelling scales aimed to create a true digital twin of a product. This work can be utilised to guide formula design and acted as a case study to showcase combination of various computational tools in digital twins. Biography Lia Argentou is a senior polymer and formulation scientist within the health science platforms team at Reckitt. She has a chemical engineering background with eight years’ experience in end-to-end product development and innovation and completed both her PhD (formulation engineering) and post doc (chemistry of cleaning knowledge transfer) at Procter & Gamble in collaboration with the University of Birmingham. For the past three years she has been working on upstream innovation projects with specific focus on enabling sustainable product development and utilising digital tools as an ally for innovation.

Which digital tools could help enable the transition of PLFs away from fossil reliance? Dr Mark Taylor Chief Technologist for digital technologies, Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) Talk summary As highlighted by the RSC’s reports on PLFs, 36 million tonnes of these materials are made annually,

Biography Mark has 30 years’ experience of data analytics, data management, lab automation and instrumentation development, gained from the academic, SME and large corporate sectors. At CPI he established a team focusing on application of several digital technologies in service of industrial formulation, including high throughput experimentation, process analytics and model-based process control, and data analytics. His current role as chief technologist is leading the further strategic and collaborative development of these technologies and horizon scanning for digital technologies that can be applied for the benefit of UK industry.

the majority of which are fossil-derived, are not recovered at end of life, and do not readily degrade. There is therefore a need to radically transform how PLFs are made, used and disposed of to reduce the ever-growing detrimental effects of these products on the environment. This talk will present ideas, based on real use cases from CPI’s experience, of how digital tools in areas such as predictive modelling & design, data generation and acquisition and data analysis could be put to use to enable the transition from fossil reliance. The aim is to generate thinking and discussion both during the meeting and after so please do not hesitate to get in touch.

How to enable green transformation by applying the mass balance accounting model Dr Christian Krüger Head of Global Sustainability and Advocacy, BASF Talk summary

Biography Christian is head of advocacy chemical recycling at BASF. He holds a PhD in chemistry and started his career at BASF’s R&D for functional polymers. He joined the corporate sustainability team as a life-cycle assessments analyst. After as consultant, he implemented BASF’s sustainability strategy in the palm-based portfolio of the Care Chemicals division. Christian became lead expert for circular economy, coordinating all corporate mass balance topics inside and outside BASF. He undertook pioneering work on the upscaling of biomass balance in consumer applications and assessing the environmental impacts of chemical recycling. Now, as head of advocacy chemical recycling, Christian is responsible for all topics relevant for regulation and standardisation around chemical recycling and holds several positions as chair in technical working groups, e.g. in industry, mass balance certification and standardisation.

A mass balance chain of custody model has great potential as an enabler of the European Green Deal transformation. It encompasses all sectors and is a pragmatic approach to boost contribution of renewable and recycled products, moving away from fossil derived alternatives. Using a certified mass balance approach, sustainably sourced circular feedstocks can replace fossil feedstocks in existing efficient, complex, and interlinked productions systems. The resulting quality and properties of the products can be maintained, while greenhouse gas emissions and fossil feedstock inputs are being reduced. The presentation will reflect on needs to accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality through business and political action and which role mass balance plays. Recent use cases based on recycled and renewable feedstocks from industry will be presented and discussed regarding their effectiveness in ramping up the switch to alternative raw materials.

Policy perspectives and opportunities in a shifting landscape

Dr Daniel Korbel Policy session chair

Session summary In this session, we will hear policy perspectives from the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Chemical Engineers, examining the shifting policy landscape in the UK and discussing insights and influencing opportunities that can support the Sustainable PLFs 2040 movement.

Biography Dan is the science policy unit lead at the Royal Society of Chemistry. In this role Dan brings together evidence on health and sustainability themes (including in circular economy, polymers and plastics, pollution and waste), making it accessible to decision makers to highlight the key challenges and potential solutions. Dan has a life sciences background and has worked in advisory and leadership roles for a range of organisations in the charity and public sectors, including the Wellcome Trust, UK Research & Innovation and the British Council. He has expertise working with a range of government stakeholders in the UK (e.g. Defra, DBT and FCDO), EU and internationally (e.g. UNEP and OECD), including through his team’s engagement on the international plastics treaty negotiations and the UK’s environmental targets and waste frameworks.

RSC policy action and the PLFs agenda

Tanya Sheridan Head of Policy & Evidence

Talk Summary Alongside being the catalyst for the sustainable PLFs movement, the RSC is leading a broad range of campaigns to build evidence and influence decision makers across the policy ecosystem. In this presentation, Tanya Sheridan, head of policy and evidence at the RSC, will take you on a tour of some current and emerging policy work, highlighting how the PLFs agenda links to the RSC’s action on UK and international chemicals regulation, waste and pollution, the circular economy and net zero, and the changing nature of jobs and skills in chemistry.

Biography Tanya joined the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2018. As head of policy and evidence, she is responsible for a portfolio of research, policy and responsive work. The aim: to advise decision makers on what they can do so that the chemical sciences community can make the world a better place. Tanya has extensive experience of making and implementing public policy. As a civil servant in the UK Government, she developed policy and advised Ministers on energy, employment law, European Union, small business and industry, with a largely economic policy focus. Before joining the RSC, Tanya worked for Cambridgeshire County Council, leading economic development programmes and advising elected councillors. She holds post-graduate degrees in european studies and business administration.

Chemicals policy in 2024 and beyond

Duncan Lugton Head of Policy and Impact, IChemE Talk summary 2024 has been an eventful year, even by the standards of UK politics. In recent months we have seen a rapid election, a change of government, and a new legislative programme all in quick succession. This change has presented us with a new policy landscape, which is still coming into focus. In this talk, Duncan Lugton will examine the state of play in chemicals policy, situating it within the Government’s broader plans and ambitions, and teasing out some of the implications for PLFs.

Biography Duncan Lugton is head of policy and impact at the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). IChemE is the UK-based and internationally recognised qualifying body and learned society for chemical, biochemical and process engineers, representing over 30,000 members worldwide. Duncan has worked in a range of policy areas including justice reform and health. He has a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford and an MA in philosophy from Brandeis University.

C ompanies and networks showcase

Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London

Companies and networks showcase

About the company Sonichem, a pioneering sustainable technology company, stands at the forefront of the green chemistry revolution. Founded with the vision to transform the way the world views and utilises forestry and agricultural by-products, Sonichem has developed a groundbreaking ultrasonic biorefinery process. This innovative technology efficiently breaks down woody biomass, such as sawdust from softwoods, into high-value, bio-based chemicals lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose sugars. Unlike traditional biorefining methods that rely on energy-intensive and environmentally detrimental processes, Sonichem’s approach is clean, low-energy, and produces minimal waste.

By leveraging powerful ultrasonic waves, the process extracts pure, low molecular weight lignin and other valuable bio-based chemicals without the need for harsh chemicals or extreme conditions. This not only ensures a lower carbon footprint but also unlocks the potential for these bio-based chemicals to replace petrochemicals in a wide array of products, from resins and bioplastics to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Miranda Lindsay-Fynn Founder and Commercial Director

Dr Andy West Chief Chemist

Companies and networks showcase

About the company Holiferm was founded on the back of patented fermentation with integrated gravity separation technology developed at the University of Manchester. As a company we aim to disrupt the market and replace all petrochemical produced surfactants with our naturally produced biosurfactants, thereby significantly lowering the amount of CO 2 produced in chemical manufacturing. We use yeast derived from honey together with rapeseed oil and glucose to produce our biosurfactants using a continuous method, which makes them not only more economically viable, but more environmentally friendly too.

Our biosurfactants have proven benefits and applications in many products found around the home including cleaning products, cosmetics and skin care, as well as in the agriculture and textile industries. Holiferm is a split site company with a research and development facility in Manchester and a commercial plant in Wallasey. The research and development facility has a bespoke lab where our team design and trial innovative new methods for the production of chemicals in sustainable and environmentally friendly ways. The commercial plant is the first of its kind in the world and allows us to produce our biosurfactants at scale and an effective cost point. Simon Bennett Chief Commerical Officer Joana Pereira Commercial Manager

Companies and networks showcase

Our chemistry also makes products work better and cost less, so billions of people can enjoy modern life with less impact on the planet. The Econic process is a cost-effective way to crack open CO 2 so it can be upcycled into renewable carbon. It makes carbon- based products work better and cost less while: 1) reducing carbon footprint by up to 40% 2) keeping carbon in use and out of the atmosphere (i.e., locked into everyday items), and 3) complementing bio-based technologies and emerging recycling systems. If you want to harness the potential of CO 2 or simply know more please get in touch. Dr Anthea Blackburn Team Leader, Surfactants Kiesha Humphreys Marketing Coordinator

About the company Econic is a renewable carbon company.

Econic is the leading technology platform for upcycling CO 2 for high-performance products. Econic transforms waste CO 2 into high-performance products made from renewable carbon. Manufacturers use our catalyst and energy-efficient process to upcycle CO 2 into a key ingredient that replaces oil-based feedstocks in polymers. With applications in automotive, apparel, furniture, mattresses, construction, and cleaning products, our technology can reduce carbon footprint and cost along the value chain while improving the performance and circularity of products used by billions of people daily. Companies use our chemistry to turn carbon emissions into ingredients, replacing oil-based materials in everyday products like cars, clothes, construction materials, mattresses and more.

Companies and networks showcase

We can provide benefits by derisking and shortening process development, enabling more sustainable and cost efficient process conditions, and providing robust evidence to support processes to regulators. Our expertise lie in applying our technology to the organic chemistry space with particular interest in the agrochemical, fine chemical, pharmaceutical, and polymer industries. SOLVE is a recent spin-out from Imperial College London (April 2024) based in the Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City, London Dr Linden Schrecker CEO

About the company At SOLVE, we enable efficient chemical processes through efficient automated empirical data collection and a suite of machine learning methods. Our services lead to more sustainable and flexible processes informed by robust empirical data. Our core know-how utilises transient flow to collect data series across different continuous process parameters – such as temperature, concentration, and solvent conditions – with high accuracy and 20 times faster than standard methods. Combining this efficient empirical data collection method with machine learning methods allows us to autonomously focus on the most valuable process regions to create a high functioning flexible predictive model.

Companies and networks showcase

LCARSIN in its discovery phase brought together practitioners, regulators and data users to collaborate on the development of the network. We are about to move into the implementation phase which will: • Perform collaborative research in working groups to address specific targets identified during the discovery phase. • Encourage the sharing and development of best practice through network events and special interest groups, and enable dissemination of sectoral guidance. We have a substantial number of registered members including stakeholders from the materials supply chain and relevant policy makers who will take part in working groups and special interest groups. For more information, please see our newsletter LCARSIN Network Newsletter (mailchi.mp). To register your interest to get involved visit: https://forms.office.com/e/TCkE1X9mvh

About the network Researchers from the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester with Unilever have launched a new network that will assist the UK’s materials supply chain and policymakers in using life cycle assessment (LCA) more effectively to drive reduction in environmental impacts. The LCA Regulatory Science & Innovation Network (LCARSIN) will connect different parties to improve harmonisation in the use of LCA and offer insights on how to use LCA results to inform evidence based policy decisions as the UK aims for net zero emissions. LCARSIN brings together industrial leaders, academic experts, RTOs, professional bodies, NGOs and policymakers in the UK. We will develop knowledge to integrate LCA-based evidence and insights to support government in developing policy to manage environmental impacts, in areas such as decarbonisation and trade in sustainable products, whilst avoiding unintended consequences.

Dr Lorraine Ferris Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester

Companies and networks showcase

About the network Digital twins offer the possibility of interconnected virtual representations of the world around us. The digital twin concept has been adopted widely by multiple communities of practitioners, researchers and innovators. In particular policymakers and governmental agencies have identified digital twins as having many potential applications offering a wide range of societal benefits. Part of the digital twin paradigm is about interconnecting and integrating digital objects, many of which have previously not been combined, often to address socio-technical applications. The different starting points, assumptions, cultural practices, biases and motivations of those involved, means that discussions across the socio-technical sphere are often at cross-purposes and without a common philosophical world view.

Therefore, the philosophical context which underpins the concept of digital twins is an important area to make clear. This leads to a set of philosophical principles for digital twins, which are intended to help facilitate their further development. We argue that the philosophy of digital twins is fundamentally holistic (e.g. anti-reductionist). Furthermore, digital twins are reconstructivist, meaning they are designed to reconstruct (some or all of) the behaviour of a physical twin by assembling a series of ‘components’, such as models, agents and data sets. Importantly, these digital twin components have the potential to capture emergent behaviours when they are dynamically assembled. Understanding the philosophical context allows a conceptual model for digital twins to be developed. Professor David Wagg Co-director for Infrastructure, Turing Research and Innovation Cluster in Digital Twins (TRIC-DT); Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield

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