Grassification

​About the project  

The overall objective of the Grassification project was to apply a multi-dimensional approach to the valorisation of roadside grass clippings to optimize it into a viable value chain for the biobased and circular economy. The project aimed 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 aim to increase the volume of usable material, lower costs, and generate a higher added value for these so-called ‘waste’ streams, which eventually will result in a higher market value for 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.

Commercial outcomes

For achieving these goals, the Grassification project had, as main outputs: 

• A novel mowing head aiming at improving the quality and reducing the sand content of the grass clippings
• Technology tested for decentralized biogas production from the co-digestion of grass clippings with other feedstocks
• Technology tested for bulk processing of grass into biogas
• Products made out of grass fibers, such as a picnic set, stepping stones and construction materials
• Report on possible applications of the liquid fraction of grass
• Model developed for joint procurement and performance contracting
• Techno-economic assessment and life cycle assessment of the most promising value-chains (biogas and biocomposites)
• Supply chain optimization model
• Policy roadmap

The stakeholders benefitting from these outputs are: road and land managers, SMEs and large entreprises, research institutes and centers, policy makers, and other stakeholders like e.g. the building sector for applications of bio-composite load bearing structures.

If you wish to know more about this project and its outputs, take contact with Prof Erik Meers at erik.meers@ugent.be

Discover the deliverables 

Grassification is co-funded by the province of East Flanders and the province of West Flanders