Due to its high amount of organic and biodegradable components that can be recycled, biowaste is not only a major cause of environmental contamination, but also a vast store of useful materials. The transformation of biowaste into energy and resources via biorefinery is an unavoidable trend, which could aid in reducing carbon emissions and alleviating the energy crisis in light of dwindling energy supplies and mounting environmental difficulties related with solid waste. In addition, the current pandemic and the difficult worldwide situation, with their effects on the economic, social, and environmental aspects of human life, have offered an opportunity to promote the transition to greener energy and sources. In this context, the current advancements and possible trends of utilizing widely available biowaste to produce key biofuels (such as biogas and biodiesel) and resources (such as organic acid, biodegradable plastic, protein product, biopesticide, bioflocculant, and compost) are studied in this review. To achieve the goal of circular bioeconomy, it is necessary to turn biowaste into high-value energy and resources utilizing biological processes. In addition, the usage of recycling technologies and the incorporation of bioconversion to enhance process performance are analyzed critically. Lastly, this work seeks to reduce a number of enduring obstacles to the recycling of biowaste for future use in the circular economy. Although it could alleviate the global energy issue, additional study, market analysis, and finance are necessary to commercialize alternative products and promote their future use. Utilization of biowaste should incorporate a comprehensive approach and a methodical style of thinking, which can facilitate product enhancement and decision optimization through multidisciplinary integration and data-driven techniques.
Keywords: Biowaste; Circular economy; Energy; Resource; Sustainable biorefinery; Waste recycling.
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