U.K. group to host online sustainability session on tires

LONDON—Rubber in Engineering Group of the United Kingdom-based Institute of Materials, Minerals and Minings (IoM3) will host an online session on sustainability of elastomers, particularly in tires, this March.

The session will be part of the Global Research and Innovation in Plastics Sustainability (GRIPS) event, which will take place online March 15-17, RIEG announced in a statement.

The GRIPS will bring together companies and individuals to highlight "the best of activities" aimed at preventing the landfilling or incinerating of plastics.

The RIEG session will look into tire particles as a major source of microplastic in the oceans and the increased focus on making road transport more sustainable.

Joe Hallet, technical service manager at Birla Carbon, will chair the event.

Participants also include: David Greenfield, managing director of SOENECS (social, environmental and economic solutions) Ltd.; James Busfield, chair, professor of materials and national teaching fellow, director of industrial engagement and head of the soft matter group, RIEG of Queen Mary University of London; and Lewis Tunnicliffe, product design and development manager of Birla Carbon.

In the meantime, IoM3 announced a planned award program by its Polymer Group open to those "making disruptive innovations that will have a positive impact on polymer (and) elastomer sustainability."

Applicants should prepare a single PowerPoint slide which summarizes their innovation and its impacts on future use and disposal of plastics along with a 250 word statement about the work.

All posters will be reviewed by an expert panel curated by IoM3 and available to delegates during the conference.

The best six will be invited to present during the conference with the final award being presented on the closing day.

All submitted posters will be added to the conference documents and shown throughout the conference.

There will be a prize of £100 ($135) plus complimentary IOM3 affiliate membership for one year for the winner.

Deadline for submissions is Feb. 4.