Title: Turning Waste into Wealth: Pioneering the Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future

Presenter: Dr. Bishnu Acharya, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Date and Time: May 30, 2025, 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time)

Registration: Click here to receive the Zoom link. The webinar is free.

Abstract: In a world facing the dual crises of climate change and resource depletion, there lies a critical but often overlooked opportunity: transforming waste into value. His talk addresses the boundaries between mitigation and adaptation, focusing on the bioeconomy, a sustainable economic model that utilizes biological resources for energy, materials, and other needs. Consider food waste: when we discard uneaten food, it typically ends up in landfills, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. In Canada, with vast landfills, this is a manageable issue, but globally, where space is limited, it presents a more urgent challenge. My work centers on converting this food waste into bioenergy, which can replace fossil fuels and natural gas, and producing biomaterials for uses ranging from drug delivery systems to bioplastics and food supplements. This transformation not only mitigates greenhouse gas emissions but also fosters a circular economy.