Abstract
Food Waste (FW) because of its composition is considered as an ideal feedstock for the production of biofuels and in particular bioethanol. The production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic materials has been studied over a long time. The process consists of the stages of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and product recovery. However, the legal framework regarding biofuels has established specific environmental criteria for their production which are regularly updated. The most common tool for the assessment of the environmental performance of a process or product is the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). In the present review, the results of LCA studies on the production of bioethanol from food waste are presented. Significant differences are observed among the studies in terms of the methodological choices made. Despite the high heterogeneity observed which does not allow a direct comparison among them, there is strong evidence that the production of bioethanol from food waste is an eco-friendly process which can substantially contribute to Green House Gas (GHG) emissions savings.
Highlights
1.3 billion tons of food products per year are lost along the food supply chain and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The present study aims to fill the gap reviewing the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) studies in the emerging field of the exploitation of food waste as feedstock for ethanol production
The category waste is quite broad and vague so the results retrieved were further refined in order the definition of waste to be narrowed to food waste
Summary
1.3 billion tons of food products per year are lost along the food supply chain and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Food Waste (FW) is produced at any step of the supply chain, from the agricultural production site to the processing plant and the consumption phase. Reuse and recycle, known as the 3R’s concept, is considered the best practice on which the management of food waste should be based [1]. The disposal at landfills remains one of the most popular options across the world. Food waste composition depends on its origin of production and may comprise a mixture of carbohydrates (starch, cellulose, hemicellulose), lipids and proteins.
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