Climate change and sustainability research at the NRC

Reducing plastic waste with eco-friendly food packaging

Teams at the Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre's Advanced Manufacturing program have been collaborating with Winpak to develop an eco-friendly food packaging material. This transparent, multi-layer food packaging is based on an NRC-patented technology and composed of a unique plastic made entirely from renewable and compostable materials, including starch. This new technology is showing promise as a solution to global waste issues. The success of this project will help Canada meet its national priority of reducing food and plastic waste while advancing our circular bioeconomy.

New Platform and Challenge programs to focus on decarbonizing the construction sector

Our Construction Research Centre is addressing one of the biggest challenges facing Canada's construction sector: decarbonization. Together with academia, industry and governments, the NRC is applying its R&D expertise to support the development and deployment of low carbon construction solutions through its new Platform to Decarbonize the Construction Sector at Scale. As part of this, 2 new Challenge programs are also being developed to focus on supporting industry to develop low-carbon products, decision support tools, and services needed to decarbonize the built environment, as well as the digitalization and modernization of construction practices to enhance productivity.

Small particles to tackle big issues

Magnets containing rare earth elements are critical components for electric vehicle motors and are in increasing demand. However, their supply is at risk because only a limited number of countries produce them. Recycling end-of-life magnets has, therefore, become a critical alternative for countries like Canada that rely primarily on their import. Traditional recycling processes usually involve energy-intensive procedures and toxic chemicals that are costly and cause environmental pollution. The Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre and the Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre are working with Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises to develop a novel approach that is faster, greener and more cost-effective. This approach involves direct recycling of end-of-life magnets into powders for 3D printing of new magnetic parts for electric vehicle motors and other applications.

Greener vessels for bluer oceans

The NRC is working together with the Canadian Coast Guard to better understand the operational profiles of select Coast Guard vehicles and their corresponding powering and fuel requirements. The collected baseline data will inform decision making for designing green vessels and selecting green machinery. The data will also be the foundation of a model for predicting fuel consumption that will provide real time guidance to navigators in support of greener operations. This initiative is funded by Canada's Greening Government Fund, which promotes and shares innovative approaches to reducing greenhouse gases in Canadian government operations.

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies

The Nanotechnology Research Centre is leading a new project titled, "Advanced nanocomposite membranes for low-cost CO₂ capture and conversion" in collaboration with the Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, the Construction Research Centre, the University of Alberta and IBM Research.

This initiative aims to develop a robust composite membrane using different nanomaterials for CO₂ capture and conversion, which could help pull CO₂ out of the air and slow rising global temperatures.

Certified Reference Materials help build a sustainable food supply

People are increasingly embracing novel protein sources for various reasons, including reducing their carbon footprint. That's why experts from our Metrology Research Centre and our Sustainable Protein Production program are working in collaboration with Queen's University on new Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for alternative protein sources.

You may have heard of plant-based food made from canola and pea plants. CRMs ensure these alternative sources of protein are standardized and safe to consume. In the Canadian Prairies, about 20 million tons of canola is grown annually. While known for its use in cooking, biofuel production and animal feed, canola is now being considered an alternative protein source for human consumption. The new canola meal reference material is the first member of our alternative protein sources CRMs to support consumer food safety and help build a sustainable food supply.

Mapping the way to a climate-resilient supply chain

he Canadian supply chain is highly dependent on rail freight transportation. Events related to climate change, such as flooding and wildfires, have become increasingly frequent and severe and are affecting the resiliency and efficiency of railway operations. To combat this, the Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre is developing a tool to map national railway risks so rail manufacturers can assess the different risks related to railway tracks and contribute to a more resilient rail transport supply chain.

Prioritizing clean air with Convair aircraft

To better understand the impact of climate change, the Aerospace Research Centre is using the unique capabilities of the Convair 580 "flying laboratory" to conduct in-air research in environment and climate sciences. The aircraft's scientific instruments can support projects in numerous areas, including air quality and emissions research, sustainable aviation and atmospheric studies. This advanced aircraft makes it possible for researchers to measure air pollutants, another way the NRC is contributing to helping Canada meet its climate targets.