Enhanced biobutanol production with sustainable Co-substrates synergy from paper waste and garden waste with municipal biowaste

Abstract

Synergy in the co-processing of lignocellulosic wastes and municipal biowaste (MB) can unlock their potential for biobutanol production. This study assessed the potential for biobutanol production through the co-processing of lignocellulosic waste and MB. Specifically, it compared the co-processing of paper waste with MB to that of garden waste and MB. Ethanol organosolv pretreatment served as a dual-function process for both pretreatment and detoxification purposes. Initial fermentation of hydrolysates from untreated paper waste using Clostridium acetobutylicum produced 0.9 g/L of acetone and ethanol but no detectable butanol. Organosolv pretreatment led to a significant increase in acetone and ethanol production but did not yield butanol. Co-processing paper waste with MB using organosolv pretreatment resulted in the production of 2.8–3.2 g/L butanol, along with increased acetone and ethanol production. Furthermore, co-processing a 1:1 (w/w) mixture of paper waste and MB under mild and severe pretreatment conditions produced 45.5 g and 43.4 g butanol, respectively, compared to 34.8 g and 14.4 g butanol when processing these waste streams separately. The study also explored the positive impact of co-processing garden waste with MB, a distinct lignocellulosic source, enhancing acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) yield by 27–40%. These findings highlight the potential of synergistic waste co-processing for achieving a more suitable balance of nutrients to enhance biobutanol and ABE production from biowastes. Additionally, the simultaneous treatment of lignocellulosic waste and municipal biowaste offers a simplified approach to waste processing, contributing to advancements in sustainable biomass utilization and bioenergy production.