Clean scene

Ever-increasing pressures for business to become more environmentally responsible means decision-makers need as much help as possible inredefining the sustainability of their operations.

The

event, which takes place at the NEC from 20-22 May, will showcase solutions for companies looking to upgrade, install and maintain products to manage their environmental impact. The event aims to allow visitors to source the latest industry news and legislation, access new technologies, and network with their peers.

The show will also provide a platform for visitors to increase their market awareness. It will bring together experts in the environment, energy, water and land sectors to allow them to share knowledge.

Targeted at suppliers and buyers in the environment industry, ET & ES forms part of Sustainabilitylive! an event focusing on innovation in the water, environment, energy and land sectors. The show will be co-located with BEX (Brownfield Expo) NEMEX (the National Energy Management Exhibition) and IWEX (the International Water and Effluent Exhibition).

More than 450 organisations will be exhibiting this year, including Advantage West Midlands, Environment KTN, Envirowise, Severn Trent Laboratories, Veolia Water Industrial Outsourcing, E.ON Energy Services, Gazprom, British Water, Worcester Bosch and the British Geological Survey.

The event is supported by a number of industry bodies. These include the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management; the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment; the Source Testing Association; the Environmental Industries Commission; REACHReady; the Institution of Chemical Engineers; the Environmental Services Association and The Society of Environmental Engineers.

Among the exhibitors will be companies offering environmental services — from management systems to training — to ensure businesses can access products and services that will allow them to operate in the most effective and efficient way.

Woodland Grange, for example, will provide information about its range of environmental education, from a three-day foundation course to diplomas and an MSc in health, safety and the environment. The organisation will explain how such qualifications can give companies an important business advantage by proving their environmental standards.

Elsewhere, new technologies will be displayed, bringing visitors up to date with the latest tools on the market.

Alongside its growing range of groundwater monitoring products, Waterra UK will be launching its Levelogger Junior temperature and water level logger. Meanwhile, EnviroGene, which applies DNA technology to water pollution, will be offering a free DNA test which can be used to investigate polluted sites.

'Water samples can be tested to determine the numbers and type of fecal indicator organisms and tell whether they are derived from human, bovine or other animal sources,' said business development manager Gregg Williams. 'For contaminated groundwater the tests can provide conclusive proof that indigenous micro-organisms will be able to degrade pollutants.' The company will also be launching a range of highly sensitive, non-persistent DNA-based tracers. These, claimed the company, have the advantage over fluorescent dye tracers because they are available in almost unlimited variations.

Elsewhere, Pressing Solutions will demonstrate equipment designed to ease the problem of disposing of used aerosols, thus saving companies money. Even when seemingly empty, the retained propellant in aerosol cans can react to heat or pressure when crushed or baled.

The company has developed equipment that allows the user to safely puncture the can, which relieves the pressure, and collect any residual liquids. The metal containers can then be recycled along with other metal, allowing the elimination of an entire category of waste from the recycling stream.

'This could save a business a considerable amount of money, depending on the volume of waste produced,' said managing director Brian Watson.

As the UK is being forced to become less dependent on landfill, so this is having an impact on industry. Mechanical Biological Treatment may well hold the key to pre-treating waste, removing the organic component and reducing the amount sent to landfill.

To this end, Bord na Mona Environmental Products UK will be exhibiting its peat-based Monafil bio-filtration product, which is claimed to be capable of removing a broad range of sulphur and nitrogen-based compounds. According to director Bob Maloney, this process will be particularly useful in urban areas where there is likely to be a great deal of public concern about odour.

As with most exhibitions, running alongside ET & ES will be a technical seminar programme with themes including products and legislation, the future, and a segment entitled 'How environmentally friendly are you?' Among the many topics under discussion will be sustainability, new regulations on buildings and energy and efficiency.

Among the presenters will be Daianna Rincones, business support and development manager at Business in the Community, which represents one in five of the UK's private sector workforce. She will be discussing sustainable products and profits, and will be making the case for sustainable innovation within the B2B industry, recognising that environmental constraints can be turned into opportunities for profit. Meanwhile, Prof Peter Braithwaite of Arup will be giving a talk entitled 'How sustainable is your business?'

Other speakers include experts from the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Marches Energy Agency, nPower and the Environment Agency. Many of the seminars, masterclasses and conferences will also provide points on CPD (continuing professional development).

The event will also play a role in recruiting future business leaders. Advantage West Midlands will take a party of career advisers to the show to highlight the importance of the industry and encourage young people to see it as a valuable career option. And, to promote links between academia and business, technical advisers from regional universities will be on hand to provide companies with the latest research information.

Finally, Sustainabilitylive! will include the Environment and Energy Awards 2008. Representing the energy, environment and brownfield markets, these will mark excellence and achievement; recognise new and innovative technologies; and reward excellence in management and outstanding performance — allowing those attending the event to identify the top performers in their area.

Categories include the edie.net Environmental Manager of the Year; the Innovation Award for Environmental Technology; the Local Authority Environmental Manager of the Year and the Environment and Energy Product or Service Award.