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

Fiberight has created a circular economy solution to generate value-added products from municipal

solid waste (MSW). The process involves thermo-mechanically treating and washing the MSW to recover

two main fractions: recyclables and biomass. The washing stage generates a washwater containing

soluble organic matter which can be a feed for high-rate anaerobic digesters to produce biogas, a source

of renewable energy. The residual solid from washing is a 'clean' biomass rich in lignocellulosic fibre that

can be converted into sugars via enzyme hydrolysis: these sugars form the building blocks for a wide

range of products in a waste-based industrial biorefinery. The project will test novel methods including

the use of specialised additives in the MSW washing stage to improve the quality of the washed

cellulose fibre and increase its sugar yield, and a new low-cost agent for pH control, to reduce the risks

of contamination from food waste and nutrients affecting the downstream sugar production stage.