Up for the Waste Challenge
The challenge:
Even with current recycling programs, our trash problem is threatening the climate, wildlife habitats and critical natural resources like fresh water. And it’s not just the usual suspects like plastics that are entirely to blame, though Ontarians throw out more than 1 million tonnes of plastic every year. Food waste also happens to be responsible for 50% of agriculture-related greenhouse gas emissions. While we can all agree something needs to be done – and urgently – a trifecta of scarcity in funding, proper infrastructure and a coordinated plan are preventing a vibrant circular economy from thriving in Ontario, Canada and the rest of the world.
What are we doing about it:
Ontario Genomics launched the wasteCANcreate program in 2023, which involves a team of Canadian researchers and industry partners from the energy, agriculture and food, plastic films and performance textiles sectors. The idea is to bring real-world solutions to life, while also creating new economic opportunities.
Some may think microbes are nasty little things, but we assure you, they can be put to great use! Bioconversion uses naturally occurring or engineered microbes to convert organic waste, including food waste, into usable products like biodegradable plastics. This new version of upcycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, replaces the need for petroleum-based plastics and provides an economic boost to the province through job creation.
Our feedstock partners in Aylmer and Burlington give us mixed food waste, potato waste and corn fibres left over from ethanol production to convert into bioplastics and other materials. These products can now become key ingredients for our partner companies in Orillia, Vancouver and Regina that are making things like food packaging, plastic sheeting, performance fabrics (yoga pants) and industrial adhesives, coatings and detergents.
What's next:
We recently held the inaugural wasteCANcreate Upcycling Summit in Toronto, where dozens of researchers, startups and representatives from government and various industries collaborated on recommendations for a waste upcycling strategy for Canada. It was an exciting day full of promise and we’re working on a detailed report on the recommendations which will be released in 2024.
In the meantime, we’re looking for more partners to help us expand this important work! Reach out to Michael Dorrington, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, to learn more.
Funded by:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
