A single-chamber and membrane-less microbial fuel cells were successfully started up using anaerobic sludge as inoculums without any chemical substance for 20 d. The electricity generation of the microbial fuel cell using surplus sludge as fuel and the change of substrate were investigated. The results showed that the obtained maximum voltage and power density were 495 mV and 44 mW x m(-2) (fixed 1,000 Omega), and the internal resistance was about 300 Omega during steady state. In a cycle, the removal efficiency of SS and VSS were 27.3% and 28.7%, pH was 6.5-8.0. In addition, the COD increased from 617 mg x L(-1) to 1,150 mg x L(-1) and decreased afterwards with time. The change of glucose was similar to that of COD, glucose increased from 47 mg x L(-1) to 60 mg x L(-1) and decreased afterwards with time. Consequently, the microbial fuel cell can transform chemical energy of surplus sludge into the cleanest electrical energy, and it provides a new way of sludge recycling.