Professor Margaret Bates speaks at the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences

Last month Professor Margaret Bates went to Seoul, South Korea - not for the Winter Olympics, but for the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences.

Margaret says: The audience came from all over the world and included researchers and government ministers. There were two Nobel Prize winners amongst the presenters which was somewhat daunting. My presentation focussed on the role of wastes management in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and consisted mainly of pictures which enabled me to talk about whatever the fancy took me.

Professor Margaret Bates

We also had a specially arranged performance from the “Little Angels”, who have performed in front of film stars and world leaders.

A performance by the 'Little Angels'

Research finds that England is unlikely to meet recycling targets

Academics from the School of Science and Technology at the University of Northampton, have had a paper published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling – a high impact, internationally peer-reviewed journal.

The paper entitled ‘Strategies for local authorities to achieve the EU 2020 50% recycling, reuse and composting target: a case study of England’, is based on the dissertation of a former MSc Wastes Management student, Steve Waite. Dr Terry Tudor, Paul Cox and Steve used a representative sample of 48 local authorities in England, and concluded that it was unlikely that the country would meet the 2020 target, as set out by the European Union’s Waste Framework Directive. 

Dr Terry Tudor, a senior lecturer in Waste Management at the University of Northampton, commented:

“Our paper outlines the reasons why England is unlikely to meet the target and makes recommendations for improvement. The findings have significant implications – not only for England, but for the other Member States in the EU. This is just one example of the work being done by academics and students within our department to develop strategies to address key environmental management issue, in the UK and also globally.” 

A free copy of the article which was published in the journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling can be downloaded from the link below until December 18:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092134491530094X

Academic invited to sit on European Commission's Waste Management Technical Working Group

Dr Terry Tudor, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Science and Technology has been invited to be one of the experts on the European Commission’s (EC) Waste Management Technical Working Group.
 

Dr Terry Tudor

The Group, which will sit within the EC’s Joint Research Centre, will develop an Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) document for the waste management sector in the EU. The initial meeting will take place in Leuven, Belgium at the end of September 2015. It is anticipated that the document should be ready by the end of 2016.

Professor visits Zambia to develop schemes to deal with electronic waste

Professor Margaret Bates recently visited Zambia, representing the International Solid Waste Association as an expert in the field of electronic waste ('e waste').

Margaret toured a range of waste sites in Choma looking at dumping and burning.  Working with other European experts and colleagues in Choma, Margaret used the information collected to help develop a master plan to deal with e waste in the district.

At the end of the successful visit Margaret took the chance to visit the Victoria Falls and a national park.

Victoria Falls

Wildlife at the national park

Margaret has a busy few months ahead.  She will be visiting Brazil, Uganda and the Ivory Coast to provide expert advice on other waste management issues.

Opportunities at the University of Brescia, Italy

Dr Terry Tudor, a senior lecturer in wastes management within the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, recently spent a month as a visiting professor at the University of Brescia. Brescia is located in northern Italy, in the Lombardy region.

Brescia, northern Italy

During his time there, Dr Tudor delivered seminars on environmental management, led a one day session during the summer school, as well as undertaking research and supervision of various undergraduate and postgraduate students. In late Autumn, Prof Mentore Vaccari will be visiting the University of Northampton to deliver lectures and seminars on waste management and contaminated land.

Over the past two years, there has been a strong link built between the two institutions in the area of environmental management, in terms of teaching and learning activities, as well as research. As a result of this collaboration, there are good opportunities for students to visit the University of Brescia (e.g. through Erasmus), to either to undertake study, or research.

For more information about the collaboration or opportunities, please contact Dr Terry Tudor terry.tudor@northampton.ac.uk