Common challenge

Roadside grass clippings are a problem fraction throughout the 2 Seas Programme area due to their high volume, subject to high processing costs. The industrial sector, however, is interested in the possibility of using roadside grass clippings as an alternative resource (as opposed to fossil sources or dedicated agricultural produce). The common challenges for applying roadside grass clippings as a renewable feedstock in industrial processes are currently threefold:

• the supply chains are not yet optimal, resulting in higher costs
• a highly variable and heterogeneous supply
• an unsupportive institutional framework leading to legal and political challenges

The opportunities to be addressed by the Grassification project can thus be situated at different levels of the roadside grass clippings value chain, hindering altogether the use of grass clippings by the industry as a renewable resource (and thus hampering the pursuit of a biobased and circular economy).

Overall objective

The overall objective of the Grassification project is to apply a multi-dimensional approach to roadside grass clippings refining in order to optimize it into a viable value chain for the biobased and circular economy. The project commits itself to optimize logistics and technical aspects of the grass clippings supply chain and processing, demonstrate its market potential as well as formulate policy and legal recommendations to create a more supportive framework for the recycling of this renewable resource.

These actions will increase the volume usable material, lower costs, and generate a higher added-value for this so called ‘waste’ streams, which eventually will result in a higher market value of the industry. In this way, the use of roadside grass clippings as a renewable resource for the production of biobased products and hence the circular economy will become more attractive. Roadside grass clippings refining thus facilitates transition towards a circular economy.

Input Millvision

Millvision will jointly develop & demonstrate a production method for fibre pellets to be used as half-finished product for bio-composite production. Production, storing & drying of fibre pellets is labour intensive (potential social economy). Reducing size & weight, while increasing storability will result in increased availability & reduced transport cost. Using fibre and/or fibre pellets Millvision will jointly test & demonstrate the potential for road side grass fibres in different types of building materials. The possibilities for blending in other grass species to improve the quality of building materials & polymers will be researched. The (bio)composite products tested & designed will be used in landscape infrastructure applications such as plant poles, waterway side sheeting and/or simple building applications (e.g. picnic tables). Durability of products will be tested & demonstrated.

Duration

From 01/03/2018 to 28/02/2021

Budget

€4.4 million ( €2.5 million EU funding)

Partnership

• Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology (Project leader, BE)
• Province of West Flanders (BE)
• Inagro (BE)
• Pro Natura (BE)
• Vanheede Landill Solutions NV (BE)
• Innec CVBA (BE)
• VITO (BE)
• Kent Wildlife Trust (VK)
• Delphy BV (NL)
• Millvision (NL)
• Avans University (NL)