We are very happy that today's Circular Economy Business Breakfast was such a success. Thanks to our lovely hosts, Ogilvy Vodka we had a beautiful venue in the heart of Angus to present circular economy in theory and in practice. We recommend anyone to contact them for any type of event, in any season. We were also very happy to have more ambassadors, businesses we work with, Zero Waste Scotland experts and many new faces in the audience. A really good mix of people and organisations was vital for the following conversations.
We started the event with a great presentation by Graeme Jarron, farmer and owner of the company. The Jarrons have farmed the land for generations and they consder themselves stewards of the land. Graeme talked about the potatoes they grow and how because of specific standards required by the supermarkets, there was always an amount that was used as cattle feed (either because potatoes were too small, wonky or anything else).
Recently, the Jarrons decided to add an extra step between potato production and cattle feed, and they decided to make local Scottish Vodka. The unusable potatoes are mashed, fermented and distilled to create a very smooth vodka, with the remaining potato pulp still fed to the cattle. So from potatoes traditionally considered as waste, the have created both a high value and a low value product, by definition circular.
We then presented Circular Economy with some examples of existing businesses following a circular model, the support that is available from Zero Waste Scotland and our regional Circular Tayside projects like the Circular Tayside Ambassadors and the Circular Tayside Map.
If anyone would like any copies of the presentation to share with colleagues please contact us
The last speaker of the day was one of our Ambassadors, Andy Simpson who showed us how additive manufacturing is reducing waste and extraction of virgin resources by creating just what is necessary, without any extra waste. Specifically, he told us that in traditional manufacturing in Scotland the figures for waste creation are up to 87% (!!!) and in the model of additional manufacturing, only 7% is wasted!!!. He also showcased how his technology reduces CO2 by allowing products to be designed here and produced by a 3D printer in the other side of the world. We strongly recommend you to check his company, Angus 3D Solutions for your manufacturing needs as you will be reducing your CO2, extraction of virgin resources and creation of waste.
We are very happy to have had a lot of interest both for additive manufacturing and for potato farming from the audience.
We continued our day with a fantastic tour of the distillery, delivered by Graeme. We really recommend their tours (available in spring and summer). They are delivered with the use of a tractor and wagon.
Graeme took us to the distillery where he explained in depth how they wash, mash and ferment the potatoes in specific temperatures and anaerobic conditions. The mash then gets distilled and their smooth, premium quality vodka is produced, bottled and distributed to select outlets. The master distiller, Ali, explained how their vodka gets its distinct taste profile thanks to the specific type of potatoes they use and their proces that leaves skins on. After the alcohol has been extracted, the potato pulp is fed to the cattle and it completes the circle.
Even thought the whole process produces a lot of heat and the pulp needs to be cooled down, instead of using conventional coolers, they divert water from their pond to do the trick, that then gets cooled on stones before returning to the pond. They also gather water from the rooftops of their storage, to irrigate their crops.
The event was fantastic and we are very happy to hold similar events in the future and showcase how circular our local urban and rural businesses are. It is inspiring to be surrounded by so much innovation and talent and we are happy to share the news!
