Competitive Green Technologies gets $500K federal boost

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced last week it’s investing $499,433 in the company, which is working with the University of Guelph’s Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC) in Ontario to develop a new biocomposite material from resin and natural fibres derived from agricultural waste.

“We are really happy to have created an impact by working with AAFC on this project – nano-enhanced, ag biomass-based hybrid bio-composites for light-weighting automotive. AAFC funding has resulted in an industry needle-mover. As a farmer and president of Competitive Green Technologies, I am absolutely delighted to see the value-add to agriculture through this innovative technology break-through,” Mike Tiessen, president of Competitive Green Technologies, said in a government news release.

According to the release, the global bioplastics and biocomposites sector is entering the plastics market at a growth rate of 30 per cent annually.

“AAFC funding is instrumental in supporting the development of innovative and sustainable bio-based materials. We are delighted to collaborate with Ontario-based Competitive Green Technologies on this project. Together we are creating greener materials from agricultural wastes and residues to advance bioeconomy in reducing greenhouse gases,” Amar Mohanty, director BDDC and Premier’s Research Chair in Biomaterials & Transportation at the University of Guelph, said in the release.