Reducing contamination risk and increasing yields in the production of platform sugars from UK MSW

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Fiberight has created a circular economy solution to generate value-added products from municipalsolid waste (MSW). The process involves thermo-mechanically treating and washing the MSW to recovertwo main fractions: recyclables and biomass. The washing stage generates a washwater containingsoluble organic matter which can be a feed for high-rate anaerobic digesters to produce biogas, a sourceof renewable energy. The residual solid from washing is a 'clean' biomass rich in lignocellulosic fibre thatcan be converted into sugars via enzyme hydrolysis: these sugars form the building blocks for a widerange of products in a waste-based industrial biorefinery. The project will test novel methods includingthe use of specialised additives in the MSW washing stage to improve the quality of the washedcellulose fibre and increase its sugar yield, and a new low-cost agent for pH control, to reduce the risksof contamination from food waste and nutrients affecting the downstream sugar production stage.