3-13: Municipal solid waste into sugars, chemicals, or fuels

Municipal solids waste (MSW) can be converted into sugars, biochemicals, or biofuels. The total generation of MSW in the US has increased steadily from 88.1 to 249.9 million tons in the last 50 years. The partnership between Fiberight, one of the first U.S. based companies to successfully produce biofuel from waste on an industrial scale, and Novozymes, the world leader on biosolutions and bioinovation, are using biotechnology to produce  bioethanol from MSW under economically viable conditions. Optimized enzyme cocktails developed in partnership with Fiberight have significantly improved the enzymatic digestibility and reduced the enzyme use cost per gallon of ethanol. Fiberight is currently operating a fully integrated demonstration scale plant in Lawrenceville, VA providing data and process information that will be used to transfer technology to the commercial scale plant in Blairstown, IA.

The organic biopulp recovered from MSW fractionation is the key material for the sugar platform and biofuel production. The process creates a homogenous lignocellulosic biopulp substrate from a heterogenous MSW stream. The biopulp fraction is about 45% of the MSW, and is used today to produce cellulosic ethanol. The MSW biopulp can be treated at mild conditions and hydrolyzed with high performing enzyme cocktails for optimized enzymatic hydrolysis into sugars. The sugars can then be used for production of chemicals, cellulosic ethanol, or other biofuels.