Valorization of Biowastes into Food, Fuels, and Chemicals: Towards Sustainable Environment, Economy, and Society

Abstract

The ever increasing global population, continuous dependence on fossil fuels for chemicals, fuels, feeds, and food substitutes, movement of population towards urban, and emergence of more urban cities, have created a shift towards more renewable technologies for sustainable development of environment, economy, and society. One of the renewable technologies which promotes sustainability is efficient waste management technologies. Existing waste management technologies such as open dumping, land filling, and incineration results in generation of more greenhouse gas emissions. The concept of circular economy against existing linear economy emphasizes, if the wastes are managed properly more resources can be extracted out if it, which not only contributes to sustainable economic development but also to environment and society in general. Wastes can be broadly classified into degradable (biowastes) and non-degradable waste, at present the per-capita generation of waste is 0.74 kg/day; as the population continues to rise the amount of wastes generated will double causing serious environmental, public, health, and socio-economic and political concerns. In order to be more sustainable, in the recent years global attention is focused towards valorization of biowastes into energy, food, feed, chemicals generation. This chapter deals with different types of wastes viz., biomass, food, industrial, animal, municipal solid wastes, their characteristics and scope for valorization into fuels, chemicals, and food.