A systems approach to maximizing emission reductions through bio-based products

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The bioeconomy uses renewable biomass, including wood from forests and residues from agriculture, as a feedstock for materials, chemicals, fuels, and energy. The circular economy prioritizes the recovery and reuse of materials, either for additional value-added applications or for energy generation in order to reduce waste. This proposal links these two concepts to explore the circular bioeconomy as a tool to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions while expanding our use of renewable and sustainable feedstocks. The circular bioeconomy concept addresses two critical concerns related to the bioeconomy: the lack of enough feedstock to meet all of our material, chemical, and energy needs, and the cost of growing and utilizing these feedstocks. By applying the circular approach, the effective amount of biomass available to support the bioeconomy is magnified: one tonne of biomass can be used in sequential applications and provide multiple lifetimes worth of service. This also means that the effective cost of biomass should be reduced on the basis of use. The proposed research program explores the concept of the circular bioeconomy in the Canadian context. We will first look at a series of material bioproducts that are currently being made in Canada and we will categorize the ways in which our current use of these materials creates barriers to recovery and reuse. For example, lumber that is used in construction may be painted, coated, nailed, or otherwise modified in ways that make it difficult to take that biomass and put it into another application. We will identify solutions to help address these barriers: better practices, different types of coatings, and a design philosophy that would support the ultimate reuse of the material for other value-added applications. We will then start to assemble a series of potential product 'cascades' - connecting different bioproducts based on their material characteristics and requirements. For example, it may be possible to turn lumber into panel products; it might be possible to turn those panels into biocomposites that can be used to make autobody parts; it might be possible to convert the biocomposites into packaging material, and ultimately to recover energy from those materials when we are finished using them. A wide range of options are available; the proposed research program will assemble a number of these options for further assessment. The proposed program of research will involved training of 3 HQP directly, and multiple other HQP indirectly. We will use advanced tools including life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis to further examine these product cascades, ultimately allowing us to choose optimal solutions for different parts of Canada. Those findings will be used to inform policy recommendations and inform Canada's shift to the circular bioeconomy.