Project Overview

The Sustainable Packaging Solutions to Advance Ontario Towards a Circular Economy project is an initiative that will focus on converting industrial packaging and food waste into new sustainable products. This project aims to help Ontario shift from a conventional linear economic model, to a circular model in which environmental impacts will be reduced. A circular model will be encouraged as this research intends to reduce landfill burden, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions while improving Ontario's economy, environment, and employment. This project was funded through the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade - Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence – Round 09 (ORF-RE09).

Research Team

Principal Investigator

Dr. Manjusri Misra

Headshot - Manjusri Misra

Dr. Misra is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Biocomposites. Her current research focuses primarily on novel bio-based composites from agricultural and forestry resources for the sustainable bio-economy targeting the development of bio-based and eco-friendly alternatives to the existing petroleum-based products.

https://www.uoguelph.ca/engineering/people/manjusri-misra-phd


Co-Principal Investigator

Dr. Amar Mohanty

Headshot - Amar Mohanty

Dr. Mohanty is the Director of the Bioproducts Discovery & Development Centre (BDDC) at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He is an international leader in the field of bioplastics, biobased materials, and biorefinery with a focus in engineering new sustainable materials. 

https://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/mohanty


Co-Investigators

Dr. Evan Fraser

Headshot - Evan Fraser

Dr. Fraser's current research focuses on the links between food security, land use, and global environmental/economic change.

https://www.uoguelph.ca/geography/faculty/fraser-evan

 

Dr. Jun Yang

Headshot - Jun Yang

Dr. Yang's current research interests are in Additive Engineering, 3D Printing, Printed Electronics, Metamaterials, Acoustics, MEMS/NEMS, Sensors, Lab-on-a-chip/Biochip, Membrane Separation/Filtration, Surface Science and Engineering, Microbial Fuel Cells, SPM (AFM/STM), Polymer Nanocomposites, Nanomaterials, Nanotechnology, and Green Technologies.  

https://www.eng.uwo.ca/mechanical/faculty/yang_j/

 

Dr. Devashish Pujari

Headshot - Devashish Pujari

Dr. Pujari's current research  focuses on the intersection of "innovation and sustainability", investigating sustainable product innovation, collaborative relationships for developing sustainability-oriented technology, product and process innovation, and green partnerships and their impact on firm value.

https://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/profiles/devashish-pujari/

 

Dr. Loong-Tak Lim

Headshot - Loong-Tak Lim

Dr. Loong-Tak Lim is the Director of the Guelph Food Innovation Centre. As the team leader of the Packaging and Biomaterial Group, his current research topics are related to food packaging, electrospinning/electrospraying, encapsulation, biopolymer film/coating, and coffee technology.

https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/people/loong-tak-lim

 

Dr. Stefano Gregori

Headshot- Stefano Gregori

Dr. Gregori's current research interests are in the design, analysis, and characterization of integrated circuits, interfaces, and sensors with analog and digital applications. His research aims at the development of low-power integrated nano-scale systems for reconfigurable multi-standard terminals, energy harvesters, power microconverters, and sensors.

https://www.uoguelph.ca/engineering/content/faculty/stefano-gregori

Dr. Maria Corradini

Dr. Maria Corradini

Dr. Corradini is Arrell Chair in Food Quality. Her research focuses on the development of novel techniques to study foods, their biophysical behavior, and stability. She couples these techniques with predictive tools and computational methods.

https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/people/maria-corradini

Partners

This initiative is a collaboration between researchers from the University of Guelph, McMaster University, and Western University. As well, this project has fifteen industry partners.


Collaborating Institutions

Logo - University of Guelph

 

Logo - McMaster University

Logo - Western University


Supporting Industry Partners

Logo - Competitive Green Technologies
Xerox - Logo

BioAmber - Logo

Logo - Club Coffee

Loblaws - Logo

PepsiCo - Logo

Greenpack - Logo

Jones Packaging - Logo

Dupont - Logo

E.Hofmann Plastics - Logo

Kal-Polymers

Maple Leaf Foods - Logo

Martin's Family Fruit Farm - Logo

Viscofan - Logo

Plastikon - Logo

 

News

Feb 28, 2023- Article Published by McMaster University titled "One industry’s waste is another’s green product" Related to Works by Professor Pujari.

An article was published by McMaster University related to Professor Pujari's research on his project "One industry’s waste is another’s green product".

For more information on Professor Pujari's research, please visit:  https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/devashish-pujari-circular-economy/ 

OR

https://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/articles/one-industrys-waste-is-anothers-green-product/

 

Dec 5, 2022- 4th Annual Research Team Meeting for the Ontario Research Fund-Research Excellence Round 9 (ORF-RE09) Project held at the University of Guelph.

The fourth annual Research Team Meeting for the Ontario Research Fund- Research Excellence Round 9 (ORF-RE09) Project was held at the University of Guelph on Monday December 5th 2022. 

The meeting agenda included discussing the project, titled "Sustainable Packaging Solutions to Advance Ontario Towards a Circular Economy", as well as milestones to be achieved throughout the project timeline and reporting requirements. The research team consisted of individuals from the University of Guelph as well as from the Université de Mons, and the University of Prince Edward Island in collaboration with several private sector partners. 

For more information, please visit: https://www.bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=4th-Annual-Research-Team-Meeting-for-Sustainable-Packaging-Solutions-to-Advance-Ontario-Towards-a-Circular-Economy

 

Dec 3, 2021- 3rd Annual Research Team Meeting held Virtually due to COVID-19 for the Ontario Research Fund-Research Excellence Round 0 (ORF-RE09) Project held at the University of Guelph

The third annual Research Team Meeting held virtually due to COVID-19 for the Ontario Research Fund- Research Excellence Round 9 (ORF-RE09) Project was held at the University of Guelph on December 3rd, 2021.

The meeting agenda included discussing the project, titled "Sustainable Packaging Solutions to Advance Ontario Towards a Circular Economy", as well as milestones to be achieved throughout the project timeline and reporting requirements. The research team will consist of individuals from the University of Guelph, as well as Western University and McMaster University in collaboration with several private sector partners.

For more information, please visit: https://www.bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=3rd-Annual-Research-Team-Meeting-for-Sustainable-Packaging-Solutions-to-Advance-Ontario-Towards-a-Circular-Economy

Nov 11, 2020- 2nd Annual Research Team Meeting held Virtually due to COVID-19 for the Ontario Research Fund-Research Excellence Round 9 (ORF-RE09) Project held at the University of Guelph

The second annual Research Team Meeting held virtually due to COVID-19 for the Ontario Research Fund- Research Excellence Round 9 (ORF-RE09) Project was held at the University of Guelph on November 11th, 2020. 

The meeting agenda included discussing the project, titled "Sustainable Packaging Solutions to Advance Ontario Towards a Circular Economy", as well as milestones to be achieved throughout the project timeline and reporting requirements. The research team will consist of individuals from the University of Guelph, as well as Western University and McMaster University in collaboration with several private sector partners.

For more information, please visit: https://www.bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=2nd-Annual-Research-Team-Meeting-for-Sustainable-Packaging-Solutions-to-Advance-Ontario-Towards-a-Circular-Economy

Nov 5, 2019 - The First Research Team Meeting for the Ontario Research Fund-Research Excellence Round 9 (ORF-RE09) Project held at the University of Guelph

The first Research Team Meeting for the Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence Round 9 (ORF-RE09) Project was held at the University of Guelph on Tuesday November 5th 2019. 

The meeting agenda included discussing the project, titled "Sustainable Packaging Solutions to Advance Ontario Towards a Circular Economy", as well as milestones to be achieved throughout the project timeline and reporting requirements. The research team will consist of individuals from the University of Guelph, as well as Western University and McMaster University in collaboration with several private sector partners. 

For more information, please visit: https://bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=The-First-Research-Team-Meeting-for-the-Ontario-Research-Fund-Research-Excellence-Round-9-ORF-RE09-Project-held-at-the-University-of-Guelph

 

Jun 5, 2019 - Dr. Mohanty and Dr. Misra Present at the Bio-Environmental Polymer Society (BEPS) Conference

Dr. Mohanty attended and presented his research on "Sustainable composites for green manufacturing: recent developments and innovations through circular approach" as the plenary speaker at the 26th annual Bio-Environmental Polymer Society (BEPS). Dr. Misra was also invited as a keynote speaker to discuss "Innovations in nanostructured biobased polymers: challenges and opportunities"

For more information, please visit: https://bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=Dr-Mohanty-and-Dr-Misra-Presents-at-the-Bio-Environmental-Polymer-Society-BEPS-Conference 

 

Jan 22, 2019 - BDDC Researchers Participate at the UN Environment Consultation Session on Innovations for Food Waste in North America

Professors' Amar Mohanty and Manjusri Misra participate at the UN Environment consultation session on Innovations for Addressing the Food Waste in North America.

Participants discussed the food waste issue, communicating major trends, drivers, and barriers to innovation, and how to scale up innovations on food waste.

For more information, please visit: https://bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=BDDC-Researchers-Attend-The-UN-Environmental-Assembly

 

Jul 17, 2018 - Keynote Presentation by Prof. Mohanty at the Third International Symposium on Materials from Renewables (ISMR)

From July 17-18, 2018, Prof. Amar Mohanty attended the Third International Symposium on Materials from Renewables (ISMR). He gave a keynote presentation on the topic of "Renewable Resourced-based Materials towards Improved Sustainability through a Circular Economy Path: Light-weight Car Parts to Eco-friendly Packaging". Prof. Manjusri Misra also gave an oral presentation on "Design and Engineering of Biodegradable Nanoblends by Reactive Extrusion".

For more information, please visit: https://bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=Amar-Mohanty-Keynote-Presentation-at-NDSU-ISMR-2018

 

May 4, 2018 - Ontario Government Invests $6 Million in U of G Innovations

On May 4th, 2018, Liz Sandals, MPP for Guelph, announced that two University of Guelph research collaborations will receive more than $6 million from the Ontario government. A team led by Prof. Manjusri Misra of the BDDC will receive $3.8 million over five years to develop and commercialize sustainable plastic packaging from recycled and renewable plastics, as well as industrial and food waste.

For more information, please visit: https://bioproductscentre.com/newsMedia?node=newsnderKIKgpVis