Briefing: Research and innovation in waste: fostering business growth supports the UN SDGs

Waste generation impacts widely across society, degrading environments with enormous global financial burdens. Increasing demands for resources generates disproportionate growth in waste which impedes progress against many UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reducing opportunity to drive to net zero. Solutions to break the spiral are needed. While high level policy should drive waste management practice, the practical implementation, particularly in the waste sector, requires step change interventions which are challenging to implement. In 2025, the 50th anniversary of the UK Government’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership is a timely point to reflect on a programme of academic-industry knowledge exchange, to embed innovation for more sustainable business performance. Case studies in food production, WEEE recycling and environmental management business sectors in Scotland show success in driving positive economic performance and meeting business targets and environmental and social benefits. Barriers to implementation and opportunities to break them are also highlighted. Embedding a knowledge transfer champion as part of business growth with strong knowledge base-industry partnerships is clearly a successful formula. The opportunity to translate this approach from local cases to more comprehensive policy targets may provide the opportunity to enhance progress across many SDGs and meet the opportunity for true circularity in waste and resource management.