Instead of burning bio waste, this project works to find ways to convert them into usable products. 

Agriculture and forestry sectors are actively working to reduce emissions and reduce climate risks. One important greenhouse gas emissions source from the sector comes from burning waste biomass. Globally, billions of tonnes of biomass waste are intentionally burned each year. 

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions is funding research to explore new uses for farming and forestry byproducts through the project Trash is Cash: Optimization and Benefit Quantification of Input-Output Biomass-to-Bioproduct Conversion Processes. The aim is to reduce carbon emissions and wildfire risk. The project focuses on a process called oxygen-lean torrefaction, which converts up to 60 per cent of the carbon in the waste into a solid form. 

Researchers: Yankai Cao, Shahabaddine Sokhansanj

Collaborating Organizations: University of British Columbia, Takachar Ltd.