Creating a bio-based circular economy from Louisiana sugarcane by-products

Authors: AITA, GIOVANNA - Audubon Sugar Institute; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Bruni, Gillian; DELIBERTO, MICHAEL - Louisiana State University Agcenter; EGGLESTON, GILLIAN - Audubon Sugar Institute; FINGER, ATTICUS - American Sugar Cane League; GRAVOIS, KENNETH - Louisiana State University Agcenter; JUDICE, WILSON - American Sugar Cane League; Klasson, K Thomas; Lima, Isabel; Purswell, Joseph - Jody; SOULIMAN, MENA - University Of Texas; Terrell, Evan; TUBAÑA, BRENDA - Louisiana State University Agcenter; WAGUESPACK, HERMAN - American Sugar Cane League; WANG, JIM - Louisiana State University Agcenter; White, Paul

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/5/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Sugarcane is Louisiana’s number one row crop. Growing and processing sugarcane produces by-products including bagasse, crop residue, molasses, filter-press mud, and boiler fly-ash. These by-products represent an important opportunity to improve sugarcane’s sustainability by reusing, recycling, and reforming these by-products into valuable new products. These new products can provide fuel for aircraft, improve roadways, enhance soil properties, produce animal feed, and generate prebiotics for health supplements, just to name a few. Most important to the success is making useful, valuable products that are environmentally acceptable and economically sustainable.

Technical Abstract: Sugarcane is Louisiana’s number one row crop, with an estimated value in 2023 of $1.57 billion dollars and a direct economic impact of $4.32 billion dollars. Growing and processing over 15 million metric tons of sugarcane produces significant amounts of by-products, 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 by-products are reused, recycled, or reformed into economically viable industries. Examples of bioproducts from bagasse include bagasse and crop residue-derived biochar, composts, bagasse-fiber additive for asphalt roadways, and bedding forbroiler houses. Filter-press and fly-ash are composted and land-applied, or used in greenhouse vegetable production. Prebiotics for health supplements, proteins and lipids for animal feed, and nanomaterials as antimicrobials are created from bagasse derivatives and molasses. Sustainable aircraft fuel and other biofuels can be created from crop residue and bagasse. As the circular economy grows, we anticipate incorporating other industries and states. Paramount to the success of the project is creating useful products that are both economically and environmentally acceptable.