Friday 7 January 2022

REMADE invests $33m in circular economy tech research

The REMADE Institute, a 132-member public-private partnership established by the US Department of Energy (DOE), has announced an investment of $33 million (£24.4m) to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

It has chosen 23 new projects under the latest funding round, which are expected to lead to technologies capable of increasing recycled or secondary materials by as much as 8.9 million metric tons per year and saving the equivalent of 66.5 million barrels of oil annually.

In addition, the projects are expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 24.1 million metric tons per year – equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 5.2 million cars.

The 23 projects involve new partners, including Volvo, BorgWarner, BigBattery, Auburn University and Lehigh University, which will join existing partners including Ford Motor, Caterpillar, Nike, MIT, Unilever and Yale University.

REMADE CEO Nabil Nasr said: “A circular economy is critical. If we don't reduce industrial energy consumption and industrial emissions, research shows we will only get a little more than halfway to net zero by 2050, about 55% of the way. A circular economy approach to how we manufacture and use everyday products is needed to get us all the way to net zero.

"REMADE and its partners are determined to reduce industry's energy consumption and emissions and at the same time, increase US manufacturing's competitiveness, increase the resiliency of the nation's supply chain and create new clean economy jobs.”