Description

BASA Open Industry Forum (OIF)

Tuesday 6^th October 2026

Grand Station, Wolverhampton

This year’s OIF, will be held at the Grand Station, Wolverhampton. This free-to-attend one day conference for BASA members only will focus on circularity, recycling, regulation and the development of more sustainable adhesive technologies.

Agenda:

09:00   Tea and Coffee and Registration

09:45    Welcome & Introduction, Jim Palmer BASA Technical officer.  

Session 1 

10:00     Auditel – Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) 

Speaker: Paul Harper 

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10:20     Amcor – packaging recycling 

Speaker: TBC

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10:40     PACK UK - Recycling Assessment Methodology (RAM)

Speaker: Yogesh Kumar 

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11:00 Breakout Session  

WG members opportunity to network and meet their fellow WG members - if you are not a working group member, just take a look at the posters and network with working group members anyway.

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11:15 Environment & Sustainability & Chemicals Legislation working groups meet at poster stand 

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11:30 Sealants and Construction working groups meet at their poster stands 

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Session 2 

11:45    Gary Critchlow – Disbond on demand 

After completing his first degree, in Physics (York University), Gary joined Loughborough University in 1987 as a Research Associate working in the Surface Analysis Group. Developing a specific interest in surface engineering and adhesion, he obtained a PhD in this area, in 1999 (Loughborough University). In the 30 years that followed, he progressed from Research Associate to Research Fellow and eventually on to becoming the Professor of Surface and Interface Science. Along the way, Gary has carried out research projects involving around 500 companies with a focus on solving real-World industrial problems across most industrial sectors. Gary has led a large number major research projects and has supervised approximately 35 PhD programmes. Based upon this work, Gary has authored over 100 journal papers and book contributions, plus some patents. He left Loughborough University in October 2023 to become a Director of Surface Science Solutions Ltd. The company caries out fundamental and applied research, again, addressing major industrial challenges around adhesion and coatings. In terms of awards, Gary has won the Royal Society of Chemistry: Corrosion Science Award: J.M.Kape Memorial Medal and the; Canning Bi-centenary Medal.  

Synopsis: This presentation will briefly review some of the previously considered methods for achieving dismantleable adhesion, or “disbond-on demand”, and the reasons why this is required. The presentation will then focus upon methods for reducing structural levels of adhesion, from more than ~15MPa, to very low levels, less than ~2% of their initial ultimate failure loads. The presentation will describe a number of methods, studied or developed by Prof Critchlow, in terms of the trigger methods and mechanisms by which disbond-on-demand can be achieved. These will include: the design of decompostable interphases; the use of expandable filler materials, and; partially conducting adhesives which are capable of degradation by Joule heating. 

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12:05    James Broughton – biobased adhesives/ disbonding 

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12:25    Water-based reversible adhesives for zero waste industries  

Speaker: Adrana Sierra Romero, Newcastle University 

Dr Adriana Sierra Romero is a Research Associate at Newcastle University. She joined the department of Chemical Engineering in 2021 where she has developed a series water-based adhesives with debonding on-demand capabilities. She holds a BSc in Nanotechnology, an MSc in Polymer and Polymer Composites Science and Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests focus on the development of polymer nanocomposites for sustainability applications and their translation into industry.  

Synopsis: A series of water-based polymer formulations exhibiting debonding-on-demand adhesion were developed from emulsions containing polyelectrolytes and fillers, such as clays and silver particles. These formulations adhere to a wide range of substrates, including plastics, metals, and some low-surface-energy materials, such as polypropylene. Once dried, the adhesive remains stable under humid conditions, while debonding can be triggered by exposure to either acidic or alkaline aqueous environments. The combination of reliable adhesion with lap shear strengths exceeding 1 MPa, and on-demand reversibility has been tested on packaging and electronics applications. To further improve the sustainability of these systems, we demonstrated that fossil-based commodity monomers can be replaced with plant-derived alternatives without compromising adhesion strength or debonding performance. Together, these results position the formulations as promising candidates for supporting improved waste management and recycling strategies in emerging zero-waste manufacturing sectors.  

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12:45    Breakout and Lunch 

WG members opportunity to network and meet their fellow WG members 

13:30 Packaging Adhesives working group please meet at their poster stands 

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Session 3: 

13:45    Packaging and Packaging Waster Regulations (PPWR) in Practice: What Adhesives and Sealants Companies Need to Do, Know and Watch 

Speaker: Maria Pulina, FEICA Public & Regulatory Affairs Manager - Sustainability 

A practical update from FEICA on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation obligations, labelling requirements, enforcement considerations and the key challenges facing the adhesives and sealants sector. 

[Pre-recorded session]

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14:15    Flowers an underutilised biomass stream 

Speaker: Parimala Shivaprasad - Bioenergy Hub Uni Nottingham 

Dr Parimala Shivprasad is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham. Her research focuses on developing low-carbon technologies that convert underutilised renewable feedstock, including horticultural and agricultural waste, into high-value chemicals for consumer products, supporting industrial decarbonisation and circular manufacturing. She works closely with horticulture farms and global consumer chemical companies to translate research into commercially relevant technologies that improve resource efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil-derived feedstocks. She leads the Bio-Based Chemicals theme within the Supergen Bioenergy Impact Hub. Parimala is currently a DSIT Fellow seconded to the Government Office for Science, contributing to analysis on climate change and energy security. She is also a member of the EPSRC Engineering Early Career Forum and contributes to discussions on UK research and innovation strategy. 

Synopsis: Flowers are an underutilised biomass stream: they contain high concentrations of terpenoids and low lignin, making them easier to process than conventional agricultural residues. My group is developing the UK’s first flower-waste biorefinery to convert unsold and spent flowers into fragrance ingredients, bioactive compounds and hydrophilic polymers for home and personal care applications. 

We extract crude flower oils using portable, low-energy ultrasound systems and convert the terpenoid fraction into fragrance esters through enzyme catalysis. A central challenge working with flower biomass is the feedstock complexity: multi-substrate mixtures inhibit or compete within conventional enzymatic and catalytic systems. We have addressed this by integrating multi-substrate kinetic modelling with biocatalysis and reaction engineering to enable selective transformations directly from crude flower extracts. Using these tools, we have demonstrated continuous enzymatic production of terpene esters in intensified reactor systems that operate at the point of waste generation. This reduces transport costs for low density biomass and shifts production from large, centralised assets to flexible, local units integrated with horticultural operations. We then valorise the spent flower biomass through microbial fermentation to produce bioactive compounds. In parallel, we are expanding the biorefinery platform to produce hydrophilic polymers from flower-derived substrates using enzymatic oxidation and polymerisation. These polymers offer a circular alternative to petrochemical-based water-soluble polymers widely used in detergents and personal care formulations. 

This work on a circular, flower waste biorefinery demonstrates the potential of flower biomass to support a low-carbon, resilient chemical supply chain. Our goal is to deliver scalable, easy-to-operate technologies that turn regional horticulture waste into consistent, high-value chemicals and materials.  

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14:35 Consultants round up 

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15:05   Summary & Closing Comments by Jim Palmer