Creating a bio-based circular economy from Louisiana sugarcane byproducts

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is Louisiana's number one row crop. Growing and processing sugarcane produces significant amounts of byproducts, including bagasse, crop residue, molasses, filter-press mud, and boiler fly ash. These products represent an important opportunity to generate value-added and specialty products and enhance sugarcane's sustainability by facilitating a circular economy, where agricultural by-products are reused instead of disposing them (linear economy), in order to reduce resource use and energy demand. Examples of value-added products range from biochar, construction materials, animal feed, biofuels, nanoparticles, and fertilizer. Paramount to the success of the bio-based circular economy is creating useful products that are sustainable, economically, and environmentally acceptable. Some potential roadblocks to creating a successful bio-based circular economy from Louisiana's sugarcane by-products are highlighted.

Core Ideas

• The Louisiana sugar industry produces large amounts of biomass-derived byproducts each year.
• Byproducts could be reused, recycled, or reformed instead of being discarded.
• Creating industries around these products boosts the circular economy.