Sustainable green composites from renewable, recycled, and waste sources are gaining more attraction recently in the manufacturing sectors with applications ranging from lightweight automotive parts to green packaging. The whole world looks toward a low-carbon and decarbonized economy through an innovative circular bioeconomy unlike through a linear approach to mitigate the dangers of climate change. The issue of plastic waste is making headlines on a daily basis, where several countries are restricting/banning single-use plastic. Currently, the world produces around 450 million tons of plastic annually, which is expected to surpass one billion by 2050. As per a UN report, the world makes 300 metric tons/year of plastic waste which is nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. It is expected that the sea will have more plastic than fish. Similarly, it is estimated that billions upon billions of tons in food waste including agro-/forestry residues and by-products and coproducts from various industrial processes are created. The philosophy of “Nothing is waste – wastes are resources” supports the concept of a circular economy. The renewable nature of bioplastics is not enough to claim them as sustainable from a commercial perspective. A group of researchers at the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, University of Guelph are working on developing cost-competitive biocomposites and green composites for uses in eco-friendly auto-parts, consumer products, and compostable packaging. This presentation will highlight the research on waste valorization and how innovation can be garnered through a unique circular bioeconomy approach, which is made possible from University-Industry-Government collaborations.

Sustainable green composites: A circular bioeconomy driven advances and applications

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.