Element Recovery and Sustainability

Andrew Hunt joined the Chemistry Centre of Excellence at University of York in 2001 as an M.Sc. student after he had obtained his first degree in Chemistry from Swansea University. On gaining a distinction for M.Sc. degree he went on to complete his Ph.D. on the extraction of high-value chemicals from British upland plants. Post-doctoral experience has included research on a project on the extraction of liquid crystals and other valuable components from waste electrical and electronic equipment with supercritical carbon dioxide, funded by the UK government. This successful project was awarded a Rushlight Waste Recycling Award for the most significant technological or innovative development in the field of recycling waste. His other research interests include secondary metabolites extraction, materials chemistry (utilization of waste residues), the applications of supercritical fluids, mesoporous carbons (Starbons) and their use in biosorption for metal recovery.


Prof. James Clark is a graduate of Kings College (BSc, PhD). He is currently Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) at the University of York (UK). James has led the Green Chemistry movement in Europe for the last 12 years having established both the world's leading scientific journal on the subject Green Chemistry, and the world's largest private membership network, the Green Chemistry Network. James has published over 400 research articles and edited or authored some 20 books. He has won numerous awards and distinctions including the Royal Society of Chemistry John Jeyes medal, the Society of Chemical Industry Environment medal, the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce and EU Better Environment Awards, and the Prince of Wales Award for Innovation.