Bagasse

Bagasse, pronounced buh-gas, is the fibrous residue from sugarcane after the stalks have been crushed to extract their juice. For each 10 tons of sugarcane crushed, 3 tons of wet bagasse is produced. Bagasse has an array of uses perhaps the most important of which is as a renewable power generation source. It is used in cogeneration when burned, providing both heat energy, used in sugar mills, and electricity, which is typically sold to the consumer and is the largest revenue stream from bagasse.

Other uses include paper production (bagasse’s second largest revenue stream), insulated disposable food containers (replacing petroleum-based products such as Styrofoam), cattle feed and as a sorbent material to clean up oil spills. As a waste product another benefit of bagasse is that its use reduces landfill waste. Lastly, because it is a natural organic material it is biodegradable.