曼大循環回收計畫

英國University of Manchester獲得超過130萬英鎊資助，啟動為期三年的REMOVE-UM計畫，目標是開發新技術，從難以回收的複雜廢棄物中回收有價值材料，包括一次性電子煙與報廢汽車等多材料產品。

The University of Manchester has secured more than £1.3 million in funding to develop new technologies aimed at recovering valuable materials from hard-to-recycle waste such as disposable vapes, end-of-life vehicles, and other complex multi-material products.

該計畫由英國工程與自然科學研究理事會（EPSRC）與環境、食品與鄉村事務部（Defra）共同資助，將聚焦目前回收體系難以處理的「多材料混合廢棄物」，這類產品通常同時包含塑膠、金屬、陶瓷與玻璃等材料，使傳統分類與回收流程效率有限。

The three-year REMOVE-UM project (REcovering MOlecular ValuE from Unrecycled Multi-materials) is funded by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural

計畫主持人、Michael Shaver指出，現代消費產品設計愈來愈複雜，但現有回收系統缺乏將這些材料重新整合進循環經濟的能力，因此需要從分子層級重新設計回收方法。

Affairs (Defra). It seeks to address one of the most persistent challenges in waste management: products that combine plastics, metals, glass, and other materials in ways that make conventional recycling inefficient or impossible.

REMOVE-UM計畫將透過化學回收、催化技術與材料科學結合的方式，把複雜廢棄物分解為可再利用的分子與化學原料，並進一步回收高價值成分。

Project lead Michael Shaver said modern consumer goods are increasingly complex, but current recycling systems lack the capability to reintegrate these materials into a circular economy. He emphasized the need for new approaches that operate at the molecular level.

研究團隊同時將分析廢棄物流組成、開發選擇性分解技術、優化分離流程，並與產業合作加速技術落地。

The REMOVE-UM initiative will develop chemical and catalytic processes to break down complex waste streams into reusable molecules and valuable chemical

研究團隊強調，該方法並非取代現有回收系統，而是補足其不足，特別針對目前無法處理的高複雜度材料。

feedstocks. It will also analyze waste composition, optimize separation methods, and work closely with industry partners to accelerate real-world deployment.

同時，計畫將導入生命週期評估與經濟分析，以確保新技術具備環境與商業可行性，並降低未來回收系統投資風險。

A key objective is to complement, rather than replace, existing recycling infrastructure by targeting materials that current systems cannot process effectively. The project will also integrate life cycle assessment and economic analysis to ensure environmental and commercial viability.

英國工程與自然科學研究理事會（EPSRC）表示，該計畫反映英國推動循環經濟與低碳轉型的政策方向，期望透過跨領域研究提升資源回收效率，減少對原生化石資源的依賴。

According to EPSRC, the investment supports the UK’s broader transition toward a circular economy by enabling more efficient resource recovery and reducing reliance on virgin fossil-based materials.