Following its recent announcement of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the University of Plymouth, Recycle it Global (RIG) has been working closely with its technical team to progress discussions, align objectives and shape the delivery of this collaborative programme. These early engagements have reinforced the shared ambition behind the partnership: to combine applied research excellence with industrial innovation to tackle the complex challenge of contaminated marine dredged materials and unlock new, sustainable opportunities for their reuse.
Oscar Milverton Gatta, Co-Founder and CTO of Recycle it Global, says:
“RIG’s mission is to engineer solutions that address the complex challenges within the solid and fluid waste sectors, providing new life for materials once destined for landfill. This project allows RIG to accelerate the development of our marine dredging solutions by recovering usable materials and decontaminating true waste.
“The UK, and the rest of the world, have an urgent need for cost-effective and sustainable solutions to manage contaminated dredging waste generated in ports globally. With the inevitable tightening of contamination limits in the UK on the horizon, it is more important than ever that viable solutions are developed.
“This technology will be first deployed at RIG’s port in Plymouth, establishing a flagship project with the potential to scale nationally and globally. RIG is proud to be working in partnership with the University of Plymouth, the largest university in our founding city, combining cutting-edge research with industrial innovation to address one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the maritime sector.”
RIG is developing innovative marine bioremediation technology to sustainably treat contaminated dredged materials. The approach addresses the current lack of alternative, cost-effective disposal options by transforming contaminated sediments into high-value construction aggregates, supporting both environmental protection and the circular economy.
Through the Innovate UK–funded KTP, the project will remove contaminants from dredging waste across a range of waste streams, with a particular focus on marine dredged materials. The technology will be adaptable to a variety of biochemical conditions, enabling RIG to process and land large volumes of dredged material from Plymouth and across the UK that cannot be handled through conventional disposal routes.
Samson Akpotu, KTP Associate and Bioremediation Scientist, says:
“As a KTP associate from an environmental resources background, I see this project as a genuine bridge between research and real-world impact. It sits at the interface of environmental remediation and large-scale sediment management, while remaining responsive to industrial constraints and regulatory expectations.
“The KTP enables the co-creation of knowledge with RIG by designing and testing realistic bioremediation strategies for heterogeneous dredged materials, while generating evidence to support risk reduction, regulatory compliance and beneficial reuse. Key challenges include strong spatial variability in salinity, grain size, organic matter and contaminant profiles, alongside co-contamination by hydrocarbons and heavy metals under saline conditions.
“Planning for scale-up from laboratory to pilot scale from the outset is critical, while ensuring research outputs align with company decision-making and KTP timelines. My role is to balance academic rigour with industrial practicality and communicate uncertainties clearly. This makes the KTP a significant professional development opportunity, allowing me to extend my remediation research and contribute to more sustainable sediment management in Plymouth and beyond.”
The project directly addresses the absence of safe, cost-effective disposal methods for contaminated dredged materials, transforming a regulatory challenge into a commercial opportunity. It also supports RIG’s expansion into the £20bn global dredging market by enabling the recovery and reuse of materials that would otherwise be treated as waste.
The University of Plymouth’s involvement includes experts from its School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics. Together, they bring expertise in pollutant measurement and environmental fate, recycling and reuse of industrial waste, and the development of sustainable construction products, ensuring contaminated materials do not pose a long-term environmental threat.
Dr Lee Durndell, Associate Professor in Clean Energy Transitions at the University of Plymouth and Co-Investigator on the project, says:
“This project exemplifies how academic expertise can be translated into impactful, real-world solutions. By combining the University of Plymouth’s strengths in environmental chemistry, marine science and bioremediation with Recycle it Global’s industrial innovation, the project will address a critical challenge facing ports worldwide. Developing scalable, saltwater-adapted bioremediation technologies has the potential to transform contaminated dredged material into valuable resources, supporting both environmental protection and the circular economy. We are proud to support a flagship Plymouth-based project with clear global relevance.”