Red Leaf Pulp was awarded $3.8 million to fund the construction of a non-wood pulp plant.
Sustainable Development Technology Canada is backing the project by Red Leaf Pulp, a Kelowna-based company that turns wheat straw into high-quality cellulose pulp.
The straw-based pulp will be used to make recyclable consumer products like writing paper, packaging, tissues. The cleantech company will provide a use for wheat straw, a previously unused byproduct of wheat production.
“Now is the time for ambitious climate action. Cleantech innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization are key to the vital shift to a healthier environment and a net-zero carbon economy. Today’s announcement will boost our leadership in climate and waste reduction technologies and help foster a truly Canadian success story,” said Innovation Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
Red Leaf’s straw pulp produces significantly less CO2 emissions than conventional wood-based and recycled pulps. The production of a sustainable wood-pulp alternative is important for the conservation of Canada’s forests, which are a vital stabilizing force for the global climate.
The straw-pulp milling process will reduce consumer reliance on timber and has lower energy and water use compared to the production of wood-based paper pulp.
Red Leaf Pulp is scheduled to begin construction of its first facility in central Saskatchewan in 2022, with commercial production beginning in 2023.
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Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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