Recycling with Fiberight insures mainstream recyclables, like paper, plastic and metal, inadvertently tossed in the trash are recovered rather than buried in a landfill, as well as fuels an emerging recycling market to extract a significantly greater value and energy from the remaining unprocessed MSW than has not been previously possible or economically feasible.

A Renewable Approach

Fiberight’s key concepts have been “brewing” for many years with over two decades of successful business history in the waste recycling and micro-brewery industries.  CEO Craig Stuart-Paul assembled a seasoned management and scientific team to develop Fiberight’s innovative solution to convert trash, otherwise destined for disposal, into a renewable fuel and energy.  With expertise in the waste industry and biotech knowledge, Fiberight developed a method to produce ethanol and biogas.  Fiberight differs from other biofuel manufacturers in our knowledge of plant design, waste processing, and expertise regarding enzymatic hydrolysis to build a profitable and solution-driven business.  This proprietary method can be implemented in a “mini-mill” concept, with plant facilities easily sited in urban or industrial locations within close proximity to feedstock (trash) and renewable fuel markets.

Corporate Overview

Fiberight is a privately held company founded in 2007 with current operations in Virginia, Maryland and Iowa. As a leading edge clean technology company, our team focuses on transforming municipal solid waste (MSW) and other organic feedstocks into next generation renewable biofuels, with cellulosic ethanol as the core product. Pilot plant facilities have been on-going since 2008.  In November 2009, Fiberight purchased a shuttered first generation corn ethanol plant in Blairstown, IA with the intent retrofit for second generation ethanol production.  Initial stage investment for the Iowa plant will enable the company to commence the production of 6 MMgy cellulosic ethanol using MSW.  Fiberight is targeting rapid expansion of its proto-type commercial plants in markets with 100,000 or more population, with a focus on those communities with disposal limitations and high tipping fees.

Key Competitive Advantages

• Plentiful Feedstock – Fiberight takes advantage of an abundant high-energy sources of municipal solid waste (MSW) feedstock  by locating facilities where waste is generated.
• Existing Collection Infrastructure – Fiberight works with existing solid waste haulers to ensure waste is delivered without disruption of service or waste generators having to change how waste is managed on their end.
• Competitive Tipping Fee - Fiberight tipping fee for feedstock supply is the same as or, in most cases lower than, what waste generators pay for disposal now.
• Streamlined Ethanol Production  – Fiberight’s targeted organic processes, pretreatment methods and enzyme recycling system has been perfected, using a low temperature proprietary technolgy and a closed-loop water system, to manage costs. Fiberight offers a low operating cost business model at significantly more attractive and stable margins than other cellulosic ethanol models, such as gasification to syngas or acid hydrolysis.
• Reduced Carbon Footprint – Fiberight’s clean technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to the production of petroleum based fuels.
• Replicable Business Model  – Fiberight utilizes an efficient “mini-mill” plant facility, with 50,000 square foot operations, that can be constructed at much lower initial capital investment due to the smaller scale, closed-loop system and streamlined permitting process. Lower plant investment cost enables initial market viability at reasonable feedstock input and production rates. Transportation and feedstock logistics are much simpler.

Fiberight developed a Targeted Fuel Extraction (TFE) process to cost effectively and efficiently convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into cellulosic biofuel, plant energy and marketable electricity.   The TFE is a remarkably innovative system that separates, cleans and processes organic and hydrocarbon fractions of the waste stream.  Once separated, the recyclable fraction is sold to as recycled content feedstock to end markets who make new products out of old and the organic fraction is converted into renewable fuels.

Innovative technologies, proven on a commercial scale, such as enzyme recycling and cellulosic sugar concentration have been developed to achieve high yield renewable fuels at a low conversion cost.  During 2009, Fiberight demonstrated the value of robust enzyme catalysts used by our strategic technical partner, Novozymes.  The technology platform has been tested at an industrial scale, all the way through finished transportation grade fuel; making Fiberight one of the first companies in the US to achieve this important milestone.

An Optimized Processes

• MSW is deposited on the tip floor by established solid waste haulers at a competitive tip fee.
• In a continuous fed fashion:
  • First sort removes unsuitable waste, such as inert materials and large bulky items
  • Remaining materials are pulped.
  • Second sort separates the curbside-type recyclables from food waste and other organics in the waste stream
  • Additional revenue generated from marketable recyclables recovered:  Cardboard & Paper, Plastic (ideal for energy production), Metal, Wood and Textiles
• Organics go through a primary wash for ash removal and cellular disruption for yield maximization combined with a sterilization stage
  • High solids loading for cellulosic sugar concentration and efficient conversion to renewable fuels and credit qualification
  • Glucose concentration step improves fuel yield & energy balance while obviating “stuck” fermentation
• Enzymatic digestion & fermentation
  • Secondary wash to overcome glucose inhibition & glucose losses
  • Enzyme recovery enables high enzyme dosing and yield improvement while controlling cost
• Closed-loop waste water treatment with waste wash water sent to Anaerobic Digestion for biogas production
• Once renewable fuel production is complete a digestate fiber is available for compost production or can be pelletized for energy recovery