Newton Bhabha Industrial Waste: Bio-integrated Valorisation of India's Municipal Solid Waste to Renewable Feedstocks

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The project will develop the IB required to test the vision of an integrated, profitable, non-food sugar producing commercialplant design which can adapt to different sources/compositions of Indian MSW segregated biowaste. The team will: assessviable MSbioW; develop new pretreatment technology; high activity, tolerant and cost effective oxidative and hydrolyticenzymes specific for high ligno-cellulosic waste; a more productive process; the use of non-chemical waste for biochar andAD; ensure plant control and integration; economic viability and representative sugar test samples by building a pilot plantat ICT. The key to a viable, sustainable operation in India is maximising the economic production of non-food sugar that isincreasingly demanded in sustainable biodegradable high-value products. The project brings together for the first timestrong capabilities at main partners LEEDS and ICT, along with specific and crucial industry input. The socio- technoeconomicoutcomes will develop society, wealth and environmental improvement in India with potential impacts upon DACcountries and the UK. Based on detailed market research existing MSW processes struggle for profitability because theyare based solely on energy generation. The project will develop a flexible MSbioW process to maximise non-food sugarproduction used in increasingly demanded sustainable, biodegradable products. The team are drawn from recognisedexperts at LEEDS and ICT who have not had the opportunity to work together before, but through this project could providea powerful force in this area. Industry and academic partners in the UK and India have been brought into the project to fillspecific gaps in expertise. The project builds on and uses expertise at partner FIBERIGHT, and their collaborative workwith LEEDS on sugar production from MSbioW in the US and UK. Studies have shown high-levels of indigestible ligno-(hemi)cellulosic material in Indian waste (paper, textiles, agriculture) whose breakdown is required to ensure economicsugar, rather than use for energy. A key aspect is the development of more active oxidative cellulose/cellobiose/lignin/polyesterase digesting enzymes that can contribute to, and improve the existing commercialmixed enzyme product, that will be used as a starting point. The ability to use MSW different sources will be managed by aplant design adaptive at several points in the process: analysis of the variability of source MSbioW; adjustment of newhydrothermal or microwave pre-treatment; tailoring the mix of oxidative, hydrolytic enzymes developed specifically for moreefficient breakdown of recalcitrant Indian waste; developing the batch or continuous flow bioprocess to maximise sugarproduction; directing non-sugar waste streams to either hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) or anaerobic digestion (AD). Afocus across each work package is to ensure viable economics of this non-food sugar production to compete with currentuse of food sugar in non-food markets. Studies will be directed towards the construction of a pilot plant in ICT Mumbai ableto generate representative test samples, and data to build a model of the economics of full-scale plant operation toconvince investors. A profitable process will encourage implementation leading to employment, changes in waste collectionbehaviour, environmental improvement and consequent societal benefits. The non-food sugar can be used in high valuecommercial products such as sustainable biodegradable binders in: building sector (MDF, Glass Wool); polymers (eg.FDCA-based, PLA, PHBV polyesters), pharmaceuticals ((R)-3-HB in statins, antivirals, anti-diabetes). The project furthersODA aims by: creating wealth through 100-1000s jobs and 10s of new £100m MSW businesses; social impact byinfluencing changes in practice for MSbioW segregation and collection affecting positively low-paid waste workers;reducing environmental municipal waste burden.