Research Brief #8

An Overview Agriforestry Waste Production and Use in Louisiana
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA

Research Objectives

Agriculture and forestry are the second largest employers in the state of Louisiana. Natural by-products of these industries are biomass waste in the form of bark, wood chips, sawdust, cotton gin trash, rice hulls and sugar bagasse. Disposing of these wastes poses problems for the air and water. One popular waste management solution is to use them for fuel. To measure the potential for using biomass waste for fuel and other uses, a study was conducted of sugar cane processors, cotton ginners, rice processors and the primary and secondary wood processors in Louisiana. The study measured the amount of biomass produced, used and not used for energy. The materials measured in this study include wood waste, sugar bagasse, cotton gin trash and rice hulls.

Synopsis of Results

• Wood waste: Of the 297 respondents, 227 were still in business. In total, 4,706,335 tons of wood waste, including bark, lumber waste, chips and sawdust, were produced. Of that total, at least 4,600,000 tons were produced and used exclusively for energy.
• Cotton gin trash: Eighty-one cotton gin processors produced 75,464 tons of gin trash in 1989. This trash, as of 1989, was not used for energy and posed disposal challenges to the industry.
• Sugar bagasse and rice hulls: The sugar and rice industry burn the waste and/or sell it to landscapers for groundcover. Briefly, the results of the study indicate that there were 1,303,902 tons of bagasse produced in 1989 in Louisiana. Of that amount, 909,141 were used for energy. There were 185,000 tons of rice hulls produced in 1989 in Louisiana, of which 100,000 were burned for cogeneration. The remainder of the rice hulls were sold for animal bedding and landscaping.
• The results of the study are contained in a directory for public use. The directory, available gratis, lists biomass sites and their individual biomass waste production and use.
• The study also integrated the data into a spatial and relational database for spatial analysis. This system, and analysis, is available to the public gratis.

Conclusions

Logistical and environmental concerns appear to be the greatest incentives in maximizing the utilization of waste wood. Many older mills are literally running out of room to store sawdust. Reliable and uninterruptible electricity supplies are also a concern for large mills, especially pulp and paper mills. Since pulp mills also produce wood waste especially bark, most of them co-generate electricity with wood waste. Environmental regulations, especially storm water runoff quality, have made waste material storage and disposal more difficult, thus providing further incentives to utilize wood waste efficiently.

Researchers

S. Joseph Chang, Professor, Forestry
School of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries
LSU Agricultural Center

Cornelis F. de Hoop, Assistant Professor
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
LSU Agricultural Center

Susan Kleit, Research Associate
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
LSU Agricultural Center

Target Group

Anyone interested in buying or selling agriforestry waste in Louisiana

Methodology

Using a directory of Louisiana primary and secondary wood products industries compiled by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the School of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, 907 companies were surveyed. A response rate of 33% was achieved, including 50% of the primary processor industry. Data for non-woody biomass was gleaned from the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.