Jenny Barnett

SHEQ Manager - F Ball and Company Ltd

Presentation Title The role of adhesives in securing sustainability and innovation (Part of BASA daily session)

Abstract: There is an increasing demand to move away from a linear economy model (make, use, dispose) to a regenerative circular economy model that minimises resource input, waste, emissions and energy leakage.

A poorly thought-out return to mechanical fixing would ignore the technical reason why adhesives are now used and is not guaranteed to facilitate end-of-life disassembly. It is vital not to ignore durability, bonding of dissimilar materials, light weighting, minimising material costs and more straightforward product assembly or installation. Click fixing of large components is not always straightforward and does not consider movement accommodation requirements, moisture and thermal losses and durability, or manual handling. It is important to design an appropriate bonding solution for each individual application, so that suitable end-of-life pathways can be identified. Any innovation must start with design and consider all aspects, not just end-of-life concerns.

Customer recyclability requirements can also be conveniently fulfilled using today’s adhesive technology, because specific adhesives can be designed to ‘de-bond’ through the application of heat and other techniques to facilitate dismantling of the product’s components. In construction, over 90% of the materials can be recycled, however, where valuable materials need to be separated, good design can certainly allow continued adhesive and sealant use.

Bio: Jenny has worked in the Adhesives industry for 15 years, originally in quality and analytical laboratories with the last 10 years in Health, Safety and Environmental Management and ISO management systems (9001, 14001 and 18001).  In this time, she has lead a global sustainability team and is currently the chair of the BASA Environment and Sustainability working group and. Now working as the SHEQ Manager for F. Ball and Co. Ltd, the UK’s leading manufacturer of flooring adhesives and floor preparation products for the contract flooring industry, Jenny has a BSc(Hons) degree in Molecular Science (with an environmental chemistry leaning) and a Post Grad Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health (DipOSH).