7 minute read
The Circular Economy
• The world’s population is expected to peak at 10bn in 2050. Our resources, the earth’s raw materials, are not limitless. • Moving to a circular economy has the potential to increase productivity and create jobs, whilst reducing carbon emissions and preserving valuable raw materials. • By keeping products and materials in use in
Scotland for longer, we will be more resilient to global resource pressures. Circular Tayside
Advertisement
Why it’s crucial we embrace the circular economy
Source: Zero Waste Scotland
What are the targets?
The Scottish Government developed a strategy in 2016 to move the country towards a more circular economy, aligning its economic and environmental objectives. The strategy’s four priority areas are:
• Food, drink, and the broader bio-economy: the beer, whisky and fish industries could reduce costs by £500-800 million a year by taking a more circular approach • Remanufacture: contributes £1.1 billion a year to
Scottish GDP and could contribute £1.7 billion a year by 2020 • Construction and the built environment: generates around half of all waste produced in Scotland, so has a significant opportunity to increase resource efficiency • Energy infrastructure: significant potential to re-use equipment from decommissioned oil, gas and renewables infrastructure (£30-35 billion is expected to be spent on oil and gas decommissioning by 2040)
Source: Ellen Macarthur Foundation
The future is circular!
Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce is delighted to welcome Circular Tayside Manager in the Circular Tayside project team. For those of you that haven’t heard of the project yet, pay attention because this is a huge opportunity for business growth in Tayside!
To start off, what is circular economy? To put it simply, circular economy is “an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources.” The overall purpose is to use minimal virgin resources and instead reuse, remanufacture, recycle or eliminate what is traditionally thought of as waste. Fantastic examples of circularity include offering a product as a service by renting it out when not in use, using coffee grounds to create mushroom farms, finding alternative uses for old mattresses and many more. Sounds a bit too “out there”? Well it is happening. The Scottish Government published in 2016 its strategy “Making Things Last: a circular economy strategy for Scotland” and has launched regional and local policies in order to enable the public and private sector to embed circularity in their operations. Our local, Tayside, answer to that strategy was the creation of the Circular Tayside project which is delivered through a partnership between Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and Zero Waste Scotland. Through the project, local businesses, social enterprises and third sector organisations can access free support from the Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland through the Circular Economy Investment Fund and Circular Economy Business Support Service for the next two years in order to become more circular in their operations, through finding innovative ways to manage their waste, create circular products or circular economy business models. If you are interested in receiving free support, becoming a Circular Tayside Ambassador and helping us spread the message or simply learning more about Circular Economy and what your organisation can do to become more circular, visit www.circulartayside.co.uk or email directly: vasomakri@circulartayside.co.uk
Circular Tayside
Andy Simpson, Managing Director, Angus 3D Solutions
A year has passed since Angus 3D Solutions Ltd was awarded a £175,000 Circular Economy grant from Zero Waste Scotland. This grant allowed us to bring the latest in metal 3D printer technology to Scotland in the form of ADAM (Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing). This has allowed both Angus 3D Solutions and our clients the opportunity to use this technology in our circular economy efforts. We have managed to reverse engineer and manufacture obsolete parts for equipment which would otherwise have been scrapped. This allows the equipment to be placed back into service and extends the operational life of these key assets. This is a key focus of a circular economy, keeping resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them and recovering and regenerating parts, products and materials at the end of each service life.
Being a Circular Tayside Ambassador allows me to help promote the circular economy concept to local businesses and support them in adopting this as an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose). This in turn can bring savings equivalent to 8% of annual turnover, while also reducing total annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2-4%. By promoting a circular economy through the Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce’s Circular Tayside support programme it brings benefits to local companies and the local economy. It is great to be part of this important journey in the region. Adopting a circular economy can release additional business opportunities, so I would recommend anyone who would like to find out more on how to adopt a circular economy to reach out to the Circular Tayside Ambassadors or the Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce.
University of Dundee apprenticeships “challenging the myths” and boosting local community
The hunt is on for employers across Dundee and Angus to take part in the University’s biggest graduate apprenticeship programme to date.
While most people associate apprenticeships with teens straight out of school, one local programme is proving that’s not always the case. In its biggest Graduate Apprenticeship programme to date, the University of Dundee is offering places to people of all ages and academic backgrounds for the academic year 2020-21. The scheme is being run in partnership with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), which is funding the initiative. And with courses starting this September, the University is on the hunt for employers to collaborate. Judith Halliday, Graduate Apprenticeships Programme Director at the University of Dundee says: “We’re looking for employers across the Dundee and Angus region to make this programme available to relevant members of their workforce.” The University will work with employers to provide qualifications in subjects covering business, IT and engineering. Courses include Business Management; Engineering, Design and Manufacturing; Civil Engineering; IT: Management for Business; and IT: Software Development. “Participants can combine their tuition at the University with an employer relevant to that sector of study. It’s a perfect balance and one that we believe is an important boost to the community,” says Judith, adding: “It’s a programme that challenges the myths about apprenticeships. Most people think of apprenticeships for teens straight out of school. In fact they are open to people of all ages and all academic backgrounds. They could be current employees who have significant experience and who want to develop their future career options.” The University first teamed up with Skills Development Scotland in 2017, but this is its largest number of Graduate Apprenticeships to date.
Jill Martin, a 2nd year Graduate Apprenticeship Student said: “I have found this year invaluable. Exposure to Financial Management, Networking,
HCI, Programming, and tools for Systems Analysis and Design have all been invaluable. Time out to study frameworks that underpin your role, and theory to assist with tasks allocated in your day to day work, underpins existing knowledge which gives you the confidence to question best practice and take the learning back into the workplace. Exposure to areas of IT that are outwith the scope of your role give a more holistic view of IT and an appreciation of ‘the bigger picture’. This gives you the ability to talk to colleagues with a greater understanding and consideration of their viewpoint.”
Universities and colleges across the country are widening their choice of Graduate Apprenticeships and Skills Development Scotland will continue to develop subjects that focus on a range of sectors where there is a need for highly skilled jobs.
If you are interested in finding out more about our 2020 intake, employers and prospective students can contact Kirsty Peters or the Graduate Apprenticeships team, at the University of Dundee, on 01382 384807 or ga@dundee.ac.uk.
Maximise potential by combining 4 days per week work-based learning and 1 day per week of high quality education. #MakeItCount8020
Kate Forbes, Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy, opens the University of Dundee’s Employer’s Technology Forum which is coordinated by Graduate Apprenticeships.
