Applications range from a carbon footprint of a local authority recycling system to a full environmental assessment of a product. This work is critical to how diverse activities can contribute to our evolution into a society that embraces a Circular Economy. Much of Simon’s work is linked to how we can make this transition by keeping materials and resources within our technosphere whilst identifying and mitigating the trade-offs.
Recent Experience
Simon’s varied project experience includes:
- Leading Eunomia’s work since 2015 on the prevalence, impacts and solutions to microplastics in the environment including several studies for the European Commission, national governments and NGOs on the subject.
- More widely, Simon’s work in the area of plastics pollution mitigation has also involved leading many studies on behalf of the EU Commission, national government bodies, NGOs and businesses on important topics such as:
- Biodegradable and compostable plastics; the science, limitations and evaluation of potential applications.
- Quantifying and assessing the impacts of plastic pollution where agreed methodologies and data are lacking.
- Developing policy measures at EU level for plastic pollution mitigation
- Helping businesses to understand and engage constructively with emerging policy such as the single use plastics (SUP) Directive.
- Chemical Recycling; the technologies, their limitations and environmental impact (LCA).
- The methodologies and effective ways of measuring and comparing environmental impacts of single use and reusable products using life cycle thinking.
- Simon also regularly works with businesses to help them understand and mitigate their environmental impacts whether it be through creating tools to model greenhouse gas (carbon) emissions or guiding them towards thinking about the products and packaging in different ways; all with an eye towards the technical challenges, the regulatory environment and the realities of waste systems that differ throughout the world.
Career History
Simon joined Eunomia in 2013 as our in-house Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) specialist after seven years working for an internationally recognised UK manufacturer, Kohler Mira Ltd.
Whilst working as an engineer he developed an extensive knowledge base of materials and processes whilst studying for an MSc in Sustainable Product Design. His thesis, which looked at how LCA can be integrated into the design process, was awarded a distinction and the tools and models developed as an output continue to be used by Kohler.