• A pastry shop's wastewater is used to grow pollution-fighting bacteria.
• Swansea University promotes the circular economy concept and acts as an intermediary, linking innovative, sustainable business ideas.

South Wales-based cake business La Creme Patisserie has partnered with Lux Biotech with the help of Swansea University’s team to transform wastewater into pollution-busting bacteria.

The pastry shop in the UK produces about 50,000 cakes every week. What's interesting about their business is the method they use to slice cakes. They use an exclusive water-cutting machine, which results in a nutrient-rich liquid usually treated as waste, for which the business has to pay extra to dispose. This effluent is converted into bacteria that help curb pollution.

This is when Swansea University’s ARCS team comes to the fore, linking La Creme Patisserie and Lux Biotech to show how businesses can support the circular economy through innovative partnerships.

Lux Biotech, founded by Swansea graduate Dr. Chris Charles, is a UK-based startup that sees value in waste and transforms it into pollution-fighting bacteria, which can later be used in agriculture and water treatment.

READ MORE: World's First Plant Turns Wastewater Into Sustainable Marine Fuel

The partnership is a win-win for both companies. The cake company no longer needs to pay for waste disposal, and Lux Biotech gains a low-cost nutrient source to grow its bacteria, making product development much cheaper, which is particularly helpful for startups in their early stages.

Dr Chris Charles from Lux Biotech said: "Working with the ARCS teams has been totally different from my previous experiences of working in academia; they delivered the project in a focused and rapid manner and put my goals and business first.

"Using the effluent from La Creme we've been able to significantly cut our production costs, savings which are vital for a growing startup. We wouldn't be where we are today without the ARCS team."

This initiative principally highlights the circular economy concept, which supports reusing and recycling materials instead of discarding them. Reportedly, only 10% of the materials we use today come from recycled sources. If we can increase this to 17%, it could help reduce global carbon emissions by 39%.

ALSO READ: What is the circular economy and how can it benefit your business?

Incidentally, not only does the University connect the two parties, but it also helped Lux Biotech secure nearly £50,000 in funding to scale its operations.

Professor Gavin Bunting at the Swansea University said: "This is a great example of industrial symbiosis and the value of academic and industry collaboration. Applied Research is all about bringing theory to life to create real-world solutions.

"When companies come to ARCS with a problem, we combine our cross-sector expertise with creative ideas to find innovative solutions and support resilient, circular businesses that are more economically and environmentally sustainable."

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Source: Swansea University