Evaluation of Techniques for the Valorization of Residual Biomass from Tomato Production within a Circular Economy Perspective

Abstract

The valorization of agricultural residual biomass is one of the main strategies for advancing the circular economy in the Colombian context. However, this process must consider an comprehensive vision that takes into account the potential of the waste. The purpose of this work was to evaluate three technologies for the in situ valorization of residues from fresh tomato production: biochar production in a retort system, composting, and co-composting. In the first phase, the residual biomass of the tomato production system was characterized, then the technologies were implemented and evaluated from an economic and life cycle approach considering the flows of materials, water, energy balance, costs, and time, in terms of functional unit of analysis of one ton of final product obtained. It was determined that for every ton of fresh tomato produced, about 297.7 kg of organic waste is generated, confirming the technical feasibility of the evaluated technologies. However, biochar—despite showing the expected temperature profile for slow pyrolysis—proved disadvantageous at small scale due to its cost and energy demand. On the other hand, the addition of biochar to compost increased nitrogen retention by 35% and reduced water requirements, while maintaining the expected characteristics. This finding highlights opportunities in the integration of technologies aimed at enhancing the use, recirculation, and valorization of agricultural waste biomass.