Avioxx makes debut at leading waste management industry event Environmental Services & Solutions Expo 2024
Last week, Avioxx exhibited at the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo at the NEC Birmingham, marking their first appearance at a waste management industry event. As part of the Energy, Fuels and Decarbonisation (EFD) sector of the expo, they presented their groundbreaking technology to transform household waste into sustainable jet fuel.
The event was attended by leaders of the circular economy pioneering various technologies from anaerobic digestion to make biogas to advanced robotics for waste sorting. It highlighted the potential of waste as a valuable resource that can contribute to the global push towards cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. There are enough waste hydrocarbons in the UK’s residual waste stream to manufacture approximately 50% of the country’s aviation fuel demand using Avioxx’s innovative waste-to-SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) process.
Avioxx aimed to raise awareness of SAF production as a sustainable alternative to traditional waste disposal methods, introducing their technology to the waste management industry. The event also provided the grounds for the firm to meet potential partners to supply waste feedstocks for their pilot production plant. The Avioxx process represents a crucial advancement for both the environment and the aviation industry, offering a practical solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a rapidly decarbonising world.
At present, there is an emphasis across Europe on energy-from-waste (EfW) solutions to divert residual waste from landfills. The process involves generating heat or electricity as a product of waste incineration. In the UK, 14.9 million tonnes of municipal solid waste is used annually for EfW, excluding the amount sent abroad. The attention on EfW was also evident from the large number of attendees showcasing technologies aimed at improving the efficiency of EfW processes.
While waste-to-energy reduces the use fossil fuels for energy, it is insufficient in reducing the environmental impacts of waste disposal. Incineration with energy recovery is among the bottom rungs of the waste hierarchy; it releases a significant amount of carbon emissions that are difficult or expensive to capture. Long-term solutions that move waste up the hierarchy, focused on recycling, must take precedence to reduce harm to the planet.
Alongside Avioxx’s waste-to-SAF technology, the EFD sector at the expo featured an impressive number of UK-based technology companies developing other waste recovery technologies such as Wastewater Fuels, which harness the power of microbes to produce hydrogen while cleaning wastewater, and Kew Technology, developing processes to convert household waste into gases and fuels. It was a fantastic demonstration of the innovations in the UK toward achieving a circular economy and alternative energy solutions.
Opening doors to collaboration
A recurring theme that emerges from sustainability conferences is the need for increased collaboration, and this was no different at the ESS Expo. To unlock the full potential of waste as a resource, knowledge must be exchanged across disciplines. Industries, researchers and policymakers must work together. Governments need to ensure that policies discourage landfill or incineration practices while encouraging investment in green technologies. By bringing together scientists, corporations and governments, technologies that go beyond energy recovery — for example, to create sustainable fuels, bioplastics, and other valuable materials — can be developed and scaled more effectively.
Industry events such as the ESS Expo provide a platform to build these essential partnerships. The Avioxx team established valuable connections within the waste industry and gained insights into the latest trends in waste management and disposal practices. They achieved their goal of meeting with potential partners and showcased their novel process to thousands of visitors and exhibitors. The EFD hall was filled with innovators eager to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Ultimately, building a robust and scalable solution to produce sustainable liquid fuels from household waste requires a deep understanding of the waste feedstock and the science and engineering behind its transformation. Avioxx’s participation in the expo gave them the chance to engage with experts across industries, paving the way for future collaborations.
The ESS Expo reinforced that while waste management and decarbonisation are multifaceted challenges, the opportunities for innovation and progress are vast —especially when we stop viewing waste as something to dispose of and start seeing it as a valuable resource to be harnessed.
To learn more about Avioxx’s novel process to make sustainable fuels from municipal solid waste, please get in touch at info@avioxx.com.