One Bin to Rule Them All is a project funded by a UK Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Grant on Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging. Bringing together material scientists with social science and business models, the project uses an interdisciplinary approach to tackle the issue of plastic recycling. The project aims to improve plastic recycling by developing ‘One Bin’ to hold all plastic-like items. 

Landmark research by physical geographers at the University has established that urban river beds can be heavily contaminated with microplastics. This research began as a curiosity-driven piece of river catchment science across Greater Manchester that quickly gained visibility beyond the academy to become part of a national debate about the state of Britain’s rivers, the environmental impact of sewage-dumping water companies, and years of failure to monitor and regulate water company activities.  

Watch the microplastics in UK rivers short animation. 

Researchers in Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences have worked with our spin-out company Arvia Technology to develop an electrochemical process that has dramatically reduced wastewater pollution levels and enabled water recycling across numerous industries.

The Arvia process has reduced pollutant levels from pesticides to match UK drinking water standards; removed 90% of pharmaceutical residues and natural hormones from industrial wastewater; and reduced the release of high microbial wastewaters which can cause anti-microbial resistance.

Arvia Technology has now installed treatment systems in 25 companies across 11 countries, including the UK and China.