Sprint Challenge: How can we use technology to support the circular economy and Net Zero ambitions?

SOSE is committed to delivering the Scottish Government’s pledge of a Net Zero economy by 2045 and to create a thriving, more prosperous, wellbeing economy in the South of Scotland. We are not going to be able to deliver this on the traditional linear approach of ‘take-make-dispose’ that is currently prevalent and need to look towards a circular approach to deliver on our ambitions.

More information on the circular economy approach can be found at these links:

• What is a circular economy? | Ellen MacArthur Foundation

• https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/

Most organisations in the South of Scotland will need to adapt their way of working to look towards a more circular approach to take advantage of the just transition to a Net Zero economy. This approach not only has benefits in terms of environmental resilience. It can also benefit local businesses and communities by creating a new set of economic opportunities,. We’re keen that any solution can be helpful for existing organisations and communities in the South of Scotland as well as those looking to invest in the area.

A circular approach also looks at whole life cost of interventions and should reduce future issues of obsolescence. A key part of this Challenge is to help local organisations understand the full potential of what they have, and to make informed decisions around potential use and re-use. For example, by being able to re-use resources or materials in new or many ways within an organisation, or finding a new use for by-products or sourcing a raw material from another local organisation’s waste stream. This could create revenue or money-saving opportunities for local businesses, as well as being beneficial potential investors in the area looking to understand the potential of the region. 

We want to encourage a new way of thinking about, and using, by-products – not as waste but as a commodity that can be used as part of another process, so really focussing on resource efficiency as a crucial cog in the wheels of the circular economy. We also believe that effective circular economy models can challenge the design process to begin with and the solution to this Challenge could potentially help people in the process of starting a business, to do so in an efficient way.

Climate change is clearly a problem on an international scale, but to help combat this issue we need to make the most of regional solutions that resolve the specific environments, challenges, and opportunities of specific regions. The South of Scotland is predominantly rural with only four towns over 10,000 in population, and the region is home to 264,000 people. There are more than 12,000 businesses operating, with a combined turnover of c.£10bn. 91% of businesses have fewer than ten employees. One of the common challenges in the area is poor connectivity – digitally and in terms of the transport network – and businesses are not typically connected in a way that promotes resource efficiency.

The Scottish Government policy of Community Wealth Building is critical to the challenge – generating and keeping the wealth within the local economy, for example avoiding leakage through value, be that in resource, commodity, or currency, going out with the region without value being added.  By creating long supply chains within a locale the impact of small interventions such as government grants to specific organisations within that supply chain can be amplified throughout the local economy. In accounting terms, we may consider this as increasing the GVA of our economy.

The successful solution could further SOSE’s aims by helping to identify organisations that could be supported through future acceleration activities funded by SOSE and partners and therefore bringing more investment into the region.

There are key outcomes that a successful solution would address:

• Reduction in wastage

• Increased utility of by-products

• Reduction in GHG emissions

• Reduction in raw material extraction/exploitation

• Extension in product life cycles

• Reduction in whole life cost

• Cradle-to-Cradle design principles

• Increased productivity and profitability through increased efficiencies

• Increased GVA of products or services traded out with our locale

• Seeding the market – create opportunities

• A successful solution should address a broad range of sectors

We would be keen that any solution provides a way to understand and measure how any participating organisations use the successful solution (for example on an individual organisation level how much waste was reduced or redirected, the amount of carbon emissions have reduced, etc.) and whether this has made a positive impact on their business.

We are keen that the opportunities of capturing and sharing data relating to surplus/ by products is addressed, but we’re also open to proposals that address the challenge of wastage and the circular economy opportunities in the South of Scotland more broadly.  This may include both gathering data, and providing ways to commercialise it. We want to help organisations capitalise on the value of their co-products and establish a circular economy through this.

• Enterprise Agencies

• Partner Agencies

• Specialist Consultants

• Scottish Government (policy)

• Businesses/ Private Sector

• Social Enterprises/Third Sector

• Investors

No — to our knowledge no-one has done this through a technological solution.

There are sector specific tools, but it would not address our problem – this is a multi-sector approach. An example of a previous product was The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) http://www.nispnetwork.com/ which was used by the construction sector to minimise waste as part of the Halving Waste to Landfill commitment.

• Some organisations may be understandably hesitant to disclose by-products and raw materials.

• User apathy and adoption could be a potential blocker — the proposed product should be something that organisations in the region want to use!

No – we’re open to all ideas.