Resources by National Non-Food Crops Centre

Eco-Stories: Cinderella and Three Little Eco-pigs

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), this resource contains two traditional fairy tales that have been given an environmental twist. Cinderella must go to the ball with the smallest carbon footprint she can and the Three Little Pigs choose different materials to build their houses: concrete, wood and...

Ethanol

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet gives an overview of the current and potential market for biorenewable ethanol in chemical applications. It explores the production and uses of bioethanol. Bioethanol can be produced by the fermentation. Starch and sugar feedstocks are also food crops and so...

Groovy Green Adventures

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), these colourful posters illustrate some of the products that can be made from plants. Engaging and clear, they can be used as a stimulus when introducing ideas about sustainable development and renewable materials. The posters cover:

• medicines from...

Grow Sunflowers, Make Plant Pots *suitable for home teaching*

This resource, from the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), explains how children can grow their own sunflowers and how plant oils can be made into plastic. It helps to demonstrate how sunflowers can be grown to produce a renewable supply of plant oil. This activity can be done at home or in school and allows...

Hemp

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet looks at hemp, which is grown widely as a fibre crop in Europe and is now also an established minor crop in the UK. Hemp may be grown for both its fibre and oil, and also shows potential as a renewable energy feedstock. The factsheet describes the growth,...

Lactic Acid

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet looks at the production of lactic acid from plant-based feedstock. Lactic acid can be produced by the fermentation of starch and has a wide range of uses. These include:

• the food and beverage sector
• pharmaceutical and chemical industries...

Lignin

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet gives an overview of the current and potential market for lignin-based materials. Isolated lignin is used in a wide range of low volume, niche applications. As lignosulfate, it is used in areas such as dye manufacture, resins, concrete admixtures and...

Lignocellulosic Ethanol in the UK

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet looks at the production of ethanol from woody feedstocks. The advantage of using these feedstocks is that their use is not diverting food crops for ethanol production. The factsheet describes the sources of feedstocks, ethanol production and assesses the...

Miscanthus

From the National Non-Food Crops Centre, this factsheet looks at miscanthus, which has been grown in the UK for a number of years as an energy crop. The harvested material can currently be used to generate heat and power and in the future may be used as a feedstock for advanced biofuels. The factsheet looks at the...