Bioengineering of biowaste to recover bioproducts and bioenergy: A circular economy approach towards sustainable zero-waste environment

Vinay Kumar; Alisa S Vangnai; Neha Sharma; Komalpreet Kaur; Pritha Chakraborty; Mridul Umesh; Barkha Singhal; Divya Utreja; Edgar Uquiche Carrasco; Rodrigo Andler; Mukesh Kumar Awasthi; Mohammad J Taherzadeh

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138005

Bioengineering of biowaste to recover bioproducts and bioenergy: A circular economy approach towards sustainable zero-waste environment

Chemosphere. 2023 Apr:319:138005. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138005. Epub 2023 Jan 30.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Ecotoxicity and Bioconversion Laboratory, Department of Community Medicine, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, Thandalam, 602105, India. Electronic address: vinaykumar.smc@saveetha.com.
² Center of Excellence in Biocatalyst and Sustainable Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
³ Metagenomics and Bioprocess Design Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India.
⁵ School of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, Jain (Deemed to Be) University, Whitefield, Bangalore-66, India.
⁶ Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, Karnataka, India.
⁷ School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, U.P., India.
⁸ Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de La Frontera, 4811230, Temuco, Chile.
⁹ Escuela de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Centro de Biotecnología de Los Recursos Naturales (Cenbio), Universidad Católica Del Maule, Chile.
¹⁰ College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, PR China.
¹¹ Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, 501 90, Borås, Sweden.

PMID: 36731660
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138005

Abstract

The inevitable need for waste valorisation and management has revolutionized the way in which the waste is visualised as a potential biorefinery for various product development rather than offensive trash. Biowaste has emerged as a potential feedstock to produce several value-added products. Bioenergy generation is one of the potential applications originating from the valorisation of biowaste. Bioenergy production requires analysis and optimization of various parameters such as biowaste composition and conversion potential to develop innovative and sustainable technologies for most effective utilization of biowaste with enhanced bioenergy production. In this context, feedstocks, such as food, agriculture, beverage, and municipal solid waste act as promising resources to produce renewable energy. Similarly, the concept of microbial fuel cells employing biowaste has clearly gained research focus in the past few decades. Despite of these potential benefits, the area of bioenergy generation still is in infancy and requires more interdisciplinary research to be sustainable alternatives. This review is aimed at analysing the bioconversion potential of biowaste to renewable energy. The possibility of valorising underutilized biowaste substrates is elaborately presented. In addition, the application and efficiency of microbial fuel cells in utilizing biowaste are described in detail taking into consideration of its great scope. Furthermore, the review addresses the significance bioreactor development for energy production along with major challenges and future prospects in bioenergy production. Based on this review it can be concluded that bioenergy production utilizing biowaste can clearly open new avenues in the field of waste valorisation and energy research. Systematic and strategic developments considering the techno economic feasibilities of this excellent energy generation process will make them a true sustainable alternative for conventional energy sources.

Keywords: Biowaste to energy nexus; Development of bioreactors; Microbial fuel cells; Potential microbes.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bioengineering
Biofuels / analysis
Bioreactors
Energy-Generating Resources
Garbage*
Solid Waste* / analysis

Substances

Solid Waste
Biofuels