The New Zealand company using LCA for new biorefinery to make materials out of pine
Oil dependency has created perverse political and social outcomes and has had disastrous effects on our environment. But it doesn’t have to be this way – there are some really exciting scientific methods and practices emerging that allow us to produce these materials we’re hooked on as a society but without having take fossil fuels out form the ground. One of these practices involves pine trees – an abundant renewable resource here – which is a super cool idea since oil is pretty much trees plus time.
New Zealand company Futurity is at the forefront of trying to take out the middleman (time) and is in the process of bringing a biorefinery to Tairāwhiti Gisborne. Using new techniques, pine trees will be broken down into its building block chemicals to become the platform chemicals that can be used for plastics, resins and all sorts of applications currently provided by oil-derivatives. Futurity are currently undertaking a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with thinkstep-anz on the biorefinery and materials to help them conceptualise carbon footprinting data. An LCA will enable Futurity to speak transparently about ‘the benefits and net-positive impacts’ based off credible data when approaching clients.
Futurity is aiming to create jobs, increase the value for timber grown here, and help keep carbon in the ground. Co-founders, Jacob Kohn and Dr. Gaetano Dedual joined ‘Business is Boring’ on the podcast to talk about science, their goals and ways the system needs to improve.
To download the episode, click here.