OPTOMS - Optimising the production of thermoset resins from MSW-derived sugars

This project will demonstrate the use of sugars produced from residual waste (MSW) in the manufacture of thermoset resins. Fiberight Ltd and Knauf Insulation will collaborate, with academic expertise from the University of Leeds and Aberystwyth University, to undertake pilot and demonstration scale manufacturing trials of thermoset resins for insulation products. Fiberight has developed an innovative circular economy solution to create value-added products from 'black bag' or residual waste, which is typically sent to landfill or incinerated. The process treats and washes the waste material and recovers the cellulose from the paper fraction of the waste stream, which is then treated with enzymes to generate waste-derived sugars. This project will demonstrate a high-value use for the waste-derived sugars with a range of environmental benefits, including diverting waste from landfill or incineration, recovering valuable resources from waste and using the materials to manufacture sustainable insulation products, which in turn will provide further environmental benefits through energy conservation in homes and buildings.