UK – new paper from straw technology wins invention of the year at Observer ethical awards

provides a revolutionary treatment to efficiently turn its waste into energy and chemicals for re-use in paper making.



The Observer Ethical award was presented in June at a ceremony in central London, which rewarded those doing their part for the planet. There were thousands of nominations for the category, which sought entries from original, inventive and ethically motivated consumer products. The MiniMill particularly impressed the judges with the series of innovations that have been developed over the last ten years, leading to the construction of the working model. The panel, comprised of celebrities and experts in sustainability, recognised the revolutionary implications for paper making that the MiniMill offers.



BioRegional MiniMills (UK) Ltd has also recently secured private funding and a DTI grant to complete the industrial scale demonstration mill. An open day will be held in early 2008, when it will be possible to see the technology in action.



The technology can easily be installed as a ‘‘bolt-on‘‘ facility at an existing paper mill, or as a complete small-scale mill near to the source of the material. This means that surplus straw around the world can be used to make quality printing and writing paper, reducing transport emissions and easing pressure on the world‘‘s forests. The technology has been developed with an international market in mind, but is equally applicable in the UK, where four million tonnes of waste straw are produced annually.



By encouraging local production, the MiniMill technology supports the development of local jobs and industries and helps to reduce carbon related transport emissions. A study by Surrey University shows that local pulp supply reduces transport emissions by up to 90% when compared to imported pulp.



Sue Riddlestone, Managing Director, said: "we are delighted that the MiniMill has been recognised by the Observer Ethical Awards. Wheat straw has been used to make paper in the UK within living memory. The clean technology provided by the MiniMill allows this excellent paper making material to be used again, without harming the environment".



BioRegional MiniMills were also linked to the Observer‘‘s Conservation Project of the year award which went to Carshalton Lavender for their three acre community heritage lavender fields in South London. Both BioRegional MiniMills and Carshalton lavender were set up by environmental charity BioRegional Development Group.