Description
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Through collaboration, Fanshawe College, Autoneum, Goodwill Industries, and the Institute for Chemical and Fuels from Alternate Resources (ICFAR) at Western University explored the possibility of creating a high-value biochar product from a combined feedstock of cotton shoddy dust and end- of-use textile shred. This investigation looked at three potential combinations: cotton shoddy dust combined with shred from 100% cotton textiles, from 80% cotton/20% polyester textiles, and from 50% cotton/50% polyester textiles. (2023-07-01)
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Notes
| This project brought together several organizations and institutions to explore waste reduction through the valorization of textiles and fibrous materials used as a feedstock for the production of biochar. Fanshawe College professors and researchers, Jennifer Wright and Cassie Hopper, and Goodwill Ontario Great Lakes have collaborated on an initiative to reduce textile waste by implementing a sorting and grading program that would better direct used textiles to appropriate streams for reuse (re-sale, re-manufacturing, or valorization). One category that cannot be sorted back into streams for re-sale or re-manufacturing are certain end-of-use textiles. The use of industrial shredders to break down these materials for alternative uses was explored, rather than send these textiles to the landfill. Autoneum Canada Ltd manufactures a number of products, including engine encapsulations and engine covers, tufted and non-woven carpet systems and inner dashes, and underbody systems and heatshields, all designed to create increased comfort from reduced interior and exterior noise and heat. These products, particularly the carpet systems and underbody systems, involve cotton shoddy, sourced from several suppliers, and produce cotton shoddy “dust” as a waste product. As part of a corporate commitment to the environment, Autoneum seeks to reduce this non-hazardous waste by combining it with shredded cotton fibres created from end-of-use textiles as a feedstock for the production of biochar. The Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) is a leading research institute within the Faculty of Engineering at Western University in the development of technologies and processes for the production of chemicals and fuels from alternative resources, with an emphasis in green engineering and environmental sustainability. Using a process called pyrolysis, waste products (such as cotton shoddy dust and cotton shred) can be transformed into a solid called biochar, which is recognized for its ability to act as an effective soil enhancement for agriculture. For this project, ICFAR’s activities were led by Dr. Franco Berruti, an NSERC Industrial Research Chair in “Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass and Waste to Bioindustrial Resources” who specializes in the conversion of biomass, residues, and wastes into value-added products. |