Review of the Economics, Technologies and Products in the Non-wood Sector, 19PEERS

Non-wood fibers like sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, bamboo have long been used as raw materials for pulp making in Asian, African and S. American countries where farming is a major industry that produces a lot of agricultural waste and wood is an expensive commodity.  In recent years, non-wood fibers usage has expanded - from making pulp for paper and paper board to making molding products like eco-friendly tableware and cups as well as producing cellulosic ethanol and by-products like lignin.  However, one of the major hurdles for non-wood fibers is the reliability of supply chain for collecting the raw material and delivering them to the processing site.   Unlike in the case of wood-based pulp mills, raw material availability dictates production of non-wood fiber in smaller pulp mills based on their availability.  This is followed by another set of challenges related to technology and commercialization of these products.   

In this paper, we examine the technologies and the economics of non-wood fibers and its various uses: pulp for packaging and bleached pulp for printing and writing, molded products, cellulosic ethanol and its derivatives, lignin separation, and long fiber pulp for specialty paper markets.  The paper focuses on the North American market where there is an abundance of non-wood fibers like wheat straw, bagasse and flax straw, but its uses are in nascent stage in terms of commercialization and production.  Finally, the paper highlights the opportunities for innovation in non-wood supply chain, non-wood fiber processing equipment and systems, and development of new markets for end -products using non-wood fibers. 

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