Renewable energy technologies are being looked at as significant new sources to meet our current and future energy needs. Cellulosic biomass is an important renewable source for production of biofuels and bio-products. Significant attention has been historically given to agriculturally derived feedstocks; however a diverse range of wastes, including municipal solid wastes (MSW) also have potential to serve as feedstocks for the production of advanced biofuels due to its abundance and low cost (The Biomass Research and Development Board. 2008. Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels: Economic Drivers; Williams). Compared with the seasonal availability of agricultural wastes, MSW has the advantage of year-round availability, an established collection infrastructure and potential availability at negative cost (Williams). An efficient use of MSW would not only benefit biofuel industry but also reduce landfill disposal (Williams). Recent reports projected that an estimated 44.5 million dry tons of MSW will be available in 2022 in the United States, among which paper mix is one of the major component, representing about 30% of total MSW (Environmental Protection Agency. "Renewable Fuel Standard Program - Regulatory Impact Analysis"). Biomass feedstock costs remain a large contributor to biofuel production costs (Klein-Marcuschamer et al., 2010). The costs could be reduced by blending more expensive high quality feedstocks with lower cost, lower quality feedstocks such that the overall quality still meets specifications required by the biorefinery and the final costs are reduced (Vicki S. Thompson).
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