Skip navigation

Biomass waste utilisation in low-carbon products: harnessing a major potential resource

Biomass waste utilisation in low-carbon products: harnessing a major potential resource

Tripathi, Nimisha, Hills, Colin, Singh, Raj S and Atkinson, Christopher J. (2019) Biomass waste utilisation in low-carbon products: harnessing a major potential resource. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 2:35. ISSN 2397-3722 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-019-0093-5)

[img]
Preview
PDF (Publisher's PDF - Open Access)
25295 TRIPATHI_Biomass_Waste_Utilisation_In_Low-carbon_Products_(OA)_2019.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (1MB) | Preview
[img]
Preview
PDF (Author Accepted Manuscript)
25295 TRIPATHI_Biomass_Waste_Utilisation_In_Low-carbon_Products_(Draft)_2019.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (839kB) | Preview

Abstract

The increasing demand for food and other basic resources from a growing population has resulted in the intensification of agricultural and industrial activities. The wastes generated from agriculture are a burgeoning problem, as their disposal, utilisation and management practices are not efficient or universally applied. Particularly in developing countries, most biomass residues are left in the field to decompose or are burned in the open, resulting in significant environmental impacts. Similarly, with rapid global urbanisation and the rising demand for construction products, alternative sustainable energy sources and raw materials supplies are required. Biomass wastes are an under-utilised source of material (for both energy and materials generation) and to date there has been little activity focussing on a ‘low-carbon’ route for their valorisation. Thus, the present paper attempts to address this by reviewing the global availability of biomass wastes and their potential for use as a feedstock for the manufacture of high-volume construction materials. Although targeted at practitioners in the field of sustainable biomass waste management, this work may also be of interest to those active in the field of carbon emission reductions. We summarize the potential of mitigating CO2 in a mineralisation step involving biomass residues, and the implications for CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU) to produce construction products from both solid and gaseous wastes. This work contributes to the development of sustainable value-added lower embodied carbon products from solid waste. The approach will offer reduced carbon emissions and lower pressure on natural resources (e.g. virgin stone, soil etc.).

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: biomass, waste, utilisation, low-carbon, products
Subjects: T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Engineering & Science
Faculty of Engineering & Science > School of Engineering (ENG)
Last Modified: 19 Aug 2020 02:43
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/25295

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics