The University of Alberta is playing a key role in a new global initiative aimed at tackling one of the planet's biggest and most difficult challenges — the vast quantity of non-degradable plastic made from fossil fuels.
The Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts (GCSB) is an international research team focused on improving the conversion of the immense amount of waste lignocellulosic biomass in the world — things like straw and municipal waste — into biodegradable plastics, using chemicals and microbes.
Six countries are taking part — Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Finland and Japan — including 10 universities and two research agencies.
The U of A has established excellence in research on energy and the environment, with more than 200 researchers working on climate change and energy issues. The lead U of A researcher and Canadian lead for the new global centre is Amit Kumar, professor in the Faculty of Engineering and an associate director of GCSB. His focus in this project is on systems analysis and looking at the impact on the whole energy system if biocomposites and biopolymers are produced at large scale.
Along with Kumar, two other U of A researchers are part of GCSB. Rafiq Ahmad, associate professor and Kumar's colleague in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will develop ways to improve upcycling and recycling practices. Sandeep Agrawal, professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and director of the Alberta Land Institute at the U of A, will look at the impact on communities of using biomass waste in developing polymers.
Kumar notes that up until now, transforming biomass into bioplastic has faced big challenges in terms of poor mechanical properties and higher production costs.
"This is trying to develop the techniques and methods to use microorganisms which can help in developing these bioplastics, which can sustain in all conditions and will have a lower carbon footprint than the plastic we use today."
The key improvement is that these new bioplastics are degradable. "They go back to where they came from," says Kumar. "These plastics are basically carbon neutral or have very limited greenhouse gas emissions over their life cycle. They are very sustainable. We can produce them using these large resources. And lots of lignocellulosic biomass is available that we don't use. It is just left in the field to rot."
Kumar notes that GCSB is not just focused on devising better and more efficient ways of turning biomass waste into useful, biodegradable plastics, but also on improving ways to use these new plastics, especially with techniques like 3D and 4D printing.
Kumar is excited to be part of dealing with the global challenge of climate change, and to be part of a group of leading experts from different parts of the world, including engineers, biochemists, biologists and social scientists. "It's a group of different scientists from different disciplines. We are coming together to address the key challenge."
Kumar also sees the center being a major benefit to the new generation of scientists.
"This also helps us in training the engineers, training the biorefiners, training the next generation of scientists who can have experience working in different jurisdictions," he says. "GCSB allows us to move these students from one jurisdiction to other jurisdictions for their exchange program, for their training. This gives us an opportunity to train these next generation of scientists in a global setting."
The initial funding for GCSB is for five years. Kumar sees its work producing tangible results in three to five years. By that time, he expects it to be self-sustaining because of substantial support from industrial partners, eager for the new materials and technologies that will emerge. Kumar notes that the U of A's global reputation as a leader in developing industrial partnerships will be instrumental in gaining that support.
The lead institution in the Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts is the University of Tennessee. The overall initiative is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The U of A project is being co-funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
President's Speaker Series
Energy Systems: Challenges, Choices and Changes
Join Amit Kumar on Oct. 22 for an engaging talk hosted by U of A president Bill Flanagan and focused on the critical topic of energy transition — why it's essential and how we can chart a path forward. As a global leader in energy systems, Kumar will introduce current and future energy technologies, explaining their potential and challenges, as well as the associated costs and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. From renewable sources to emerging technologies, you'll learn where these innovations stand today, what the future might hold and how U of A researchers are critical to its success.
