Sustainable Food Waste Management Research Articles

Certified Compostable Products and Sustainable Food Waste Management via Laboratory-Level Simulation Anaerobic Digestion and Postdigestion Composting

Certified Compostable Products and Sustainable Food Waste Management via Laboratory-Level Simulation Anaerobic Digestion and Postdigestion Composting

Metaproteomics analysis of anaerobic digestion of food waste by the addition of calcium peroxide and magnetite.

Adding trace calcium peroxide and magnetite into a semi-continuous digester is a new method to effectively improve the anaerobic digestion of food waste. However, the microbial mechanism in this system has not been fully explored. Metaproteomics further revealed that the most active and significantly regulated genus u_p_Chloroflexi had formed a good cooperative relationship with Methanomicrobiales and Methanothrix in the system. u_p_Chloroflexi decomposed more organic compounds into CO2, acetate, amino acids, and other substances by alternating between short aerobic-anaerobic respiration. It perceived and adapted to the surrounding environment by producing biofilm, extracellular enzymes, and accelerating substrate transport, formed a respiratory barrier, and enhanced iron transport capacity by using highly expressed cytochrome C. The methanogens formed reactive oxygen species scavengers and reduced iron transport to prevent oxidative damage. This study provides new insight for improving the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of food waste and identifying key microorganisms and their regulated functional proteins in the calcium peroxide-magnetite digestion system.IMPORTANCEPrevious study has found that the combination of calcium peroxide and magnetite has a good promoting effect on the anaerobic digestion process of food waste. Through multiple omics approaches, information such as microbial population structure and changes in metabolites can be further analyzed. This study can help researchers gain a deeper understanding of the digestion pathway of food waste under the combined action of calcium peroxide and magnetite, further elucidate the impact mechanisms of calcium peroxide and magnetite at the microbial level, and provide theoretical guidance to improve the efficiency and stability of anaerobic digestion of food waste, as well as reduce operational costs. This research contributes to improving energy recovery efficiency, promoting sustainable management and development of food waste, and is of great significance to environmental protection.

Balancing people, planet, and profit in urban food waste management

Food waste is a complex problem and critical challenge for the sustainable development of circular economies, with interconnected social, environmental, and economic impacts. Supporting the identification of strategies that best minimise these impacts on people, planet and profit, this paper explores the dynamic impacts of food waste management options on the triple bottom lines of sustainable development in urban circular economies. We present a system dynamics model of the urban agri-food supply chain. This model simulates the fluxes of food and food waste throughout the supply chain, as well as their impacts on economy (i.e., costs and benefits for each sector and the broader economy), society (i.e., food insecurity) and environment (i.e., water, energy, and carbon footprints). Using Bristol city in the United Kingdom as a case-study, we evaluate the impacts of seven food waste management options (i.e., reduction, redistribution, animal feed, anaerobic digestion, composting, incineration, and landfilling). The results show that food waste reduction in consumer sectors (i.e., households and hospitality and food services) and redistribution in supply sectors (i.e., primary production and manufacture) offer the greatest benefits for the environment, society, and economy. For the retail sector, both reduction and redistribution options are highly favourable. Although these options can potentially have some adverse economic effects on the supply side due to a reduction in demand, their considerably high benefits make them high-reward, low-risk options. We thus conclude that food waste reduction and redistribution are the only options with a clear triple-win for people, planet and profit. This paper makes a significant contribution by introducing a robust quantitative model and a novel triple bottom line framework for sustainable food waste management in urban circular economies.

A comprehensive review of food waste valorization for the sustainable management of global food waste

Food waste (FW) is a global problem and a hidden opportunity for the value-added product conversion.

FOOD WASTE PREVENTION SOLUTIONS IN THE NONFINANCIAL REPORTS OF ROMANIAN FOOD RETAILERS

The research delves into the non-financial reports of Romanian food retailers, shedding light on the solutions adopted to prevent food waste. The research is focused on six of the biggest food retailers in Romania and their last two public sustainability reports from 2020 and 2021. By analyzing the reports, the research uncovers the most important strategies, measures and innovations implemented to help reduce wastage in the food retail sector in Romania. The findings of the study point towards a growing awareness and commitment among Romanian food retailers towards sustainable business strategies and food waste management strategies.

Real-world assessment of a decentralized food waste anaerobic digestion system: A test-bedding case study application

Addressing the global challenge of food waste, this research delves into the assessment of an on-site food waste treatment solution through a full-scale decentralized anaerobic digester (AD) system, specifically deployed at a Singapore hawker centre. Demonstrating efficiency in Singapore's tropical climate (29 °C) without external heating, the 10.8 m³ digester exhibited resilience over 234 days, navigating through real-world fluctuations in average organic loading rates ranging from 0.07 ± 0.02 to 0.81 ± 0.38 kgVS/(m3d). The normalized specific biogas production averaged 0.70 ± 0.48 m3/kgVS, accompanied by a methane concentration of 56.9 ± 2.9%. During peak performance, with an organic loading rate of 1.1 kgVS/(m3d), the system achieved an impressive volumetric biogas production rate of 1.18 m3biogas/m3reactor, equivalent to 1.1 m3/kgVS of specific biogas production per day. The energy assessment revealed consumption rates of 0.57–0.97 m3/kWh, positioning it comparably with commercialized biogas technologies in China and Taiwan. In the realm of microbiome composition, the prevalence of hydrogenotrophic methanogens, including Methanomicrobia, Thermoplasmata, and Nanoarchaeia, is notable. These methanogens showcase a remarkable tolerance to acetate, surpassing common aceticlastic methanogens by 11 times, thereby playing a pivotal role in enhancing the stability of the AD system over extended periods. On the economic front, the present AD system yielded losses ranging from SG$552,434 to SG$742,919, primarily due to a low payback period and substantial investment costs. Profitability becomes a possibility if there are significant reductions in capital costs and operator salaries. The challenges encountered during the operation of this decentralized system, along with the corresponding mitigation measures, are thoroughly discussed. Positioned as a promising test-bedding model, this application underscores its technical feasibility potential for sustainable food waste management through AD technology in Singapore. It stands as a replicable prototype, contributing to closing the food waste loop and advancing the bioeconomy.

Sustainable food waste management using modified fuzzy improved analytic hierarchy process: a study of Malaysia

Sustainable food waste management using modified fuzzy improved analytic hierarchy process: a study of Malaysia

Chemical Processing and Various Applications of Starch Extracted from Avocado Seeds: A Step towards Sustainable Food Waste Management

AbstractA sustainable food waste management methodology has been proposed for the discarded seeds of avocados (Persia Americana mill) where starch is extracted from the seeds through a microwave assisted heating process using only water, and this starch is modified through chemical treatment into acrylamide starch and carboxymethylated starch. Native as well as modified variants of starch are characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which confirms the extraction of native starch and its chemical modification. The extracted and modified variants are then analyzed for their antioxidant properties against oxidative stress by checking their scavenging activity against DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl). Moreover, the three variants of starch are tested for hemolytic activity in order to determine whether they are harmful to human blood, finally these three variants are checked for their activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus bacteria, the root cause in most cases of bacterial infection in humans. The starch variants are found to be excellent antioxidants and all three starch variants indicate a very low hemolytic activity and significant antibacterial activity in comparison to widely used antibiotic Ciproflaxin. All these results indicate that avocado seeds waste can be an excellent non‐conventional source of starch that can be used for sustainable applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Experimental study and techno-economic analysis of co-processing system for treatment of food waste with various impurities

The study assessed a co-processing system segregating food waste (FW) with different impurities into liquid (slurry) and solid fractions and treated using anaerobic digestion (AD) and pyrolysis (Py), respectively, which is defined as ADCo-Py. Biomethane potential tests showed higher methane yield from the FW slurry fraction (572.88 mL/gVSFW) compared to the whole FW (294.37 mL/gVSFW). Pyrolyzing the FW solid fraction reduced nitrogen compounds in bio-oil by 62 % compared to the whole FW. The energy balance and economic feasibility of ADCo-Py were compared with stand-alone AD, Py, and AD integrated with incineration (ADCo-INC). While all systems required extra energy, stand-alone Py and ADCo-INC needed 3.8 and 2.8 times more energy than ADCo-Py, respectively. Techno-economic analysis favored ADCo-Py, with a net present value (NPV) of $15 million and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 34 %. These findings highlighted FW separation as a promising approach, aligning with energy and economic goals in sustainable FW management.

Sustainable food waste management in supermarkets

Food waste represents a significant burden to waste management systems, exacerbating food insecurity and contributing to global pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Supermarkets bear partial responsibility for food waste, yet their sustainability efforts could also contribute to a solution. The present work aims at evaluating a sustainable approach to food waste management within supermarkets. To this end, we conducted a multi-criteria analysis, incorporating the perspectives of academic experts and 505 Italian consumers. Experts deemed residual value apps the most sustainable solution for food waste management in supermarkets, while also emphasising the influence of price and brand image. The consumer analysis corroborated these results. Specifically, consumers expressed a willingness to pay 36 % less for a bag of goods set to expire within 2–3 days, which increased to 60 % for goods set to expire within 24 h. The findings point to opportunities for mutual benefit between consumers and suppliers when food waste is effectively managed in store, thereby highlighting the need for further, product-focused research.

Valorisation of pomegranate processing waste for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles: antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against food pathogens

The sustainable management of food waste is a pressing concern, with fruit waste valorisation emerging as a viable strategy to address this challenge. This study investigated the potential of pomegranate peel waste (PPW) and pomegranate seed waste (PSW) as mediating agents for the biosynthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs); ZnO-PPW and ZnO-PSW, respectively, for potential utilization as additives in various polymer matrices for food packaging materials. The resulting physicochemical characteristics were ascertained using Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive x-Ray Analysis (EDX). The obtained indexed diffractogram from the XRD analysis for both ZnO-PPW and ZnO-PSW confirmed the wurtzite crystalline structure of ZnO NPs. The observed morphology from the TEM and SEM analysis showed a similar spherical shaped structure, with agglomerations. However, ZnO-PSW, had a smaller size (58 nm) in comparison to ZnO-PPW (59 nm). Total phenolic content (TPC) for ZnO-PPW and ZnO-PSW ranged from 16.87–54.4 μg GAE/g DM, respectively. Also, the estimated minimum inhibitory concentration at 50% (IC50) for both DPPH and ABTS are 2.97 and 2.57 mg ml−1 for ZnO-PPW; and 3.43 and 3.33 mg ml−1 for ZnO-PSW, respectively. Moreover, due to its smaller size, ZnO-PSW demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity against five foodborne microorganisms. These findings suggest that pomegranate waste derived ZnO NPs could be beneficial for developing active food packaging materials.

Regionalized life-cycle monetization can support the transition to sustainable rural food waste management in China.

Innovative recycling technologies can help curb food waste, yet their implementation often involves trade-offs among different environmental issues and among environmental, economic and social issues. Monetization can provide a solution to integrate all environmental impacts across the life cycle of food waste and to enable a normalized evaluation with economic accounting. Herein, a Chinese regionalized monetization model was applied to various indicators related to the environment, resource depletion and human health to assess ten typical rural food waste recycling technologies in Zhejiang province. The results reveal that biodrying and maturity and two bioconversion options are promising solutions, considering both environmental and economic impacts as well as the shifting of environmental impacts among different compartments as hidden risks. The monetization method proposed here could be applied to other sectors to support decision-making towards more sustainable development.

Evaluation of potential power production and reduction in GHG emissions from bio-compressed natural gas derived from food waste in Africa

There is an increased food waste generation globally due to socio-cultural factors, inadequate food waste management, and economic factors. Developing countries have major issues with proper food waste management, contributing to several environmental problems. The ineffective food waste management in Africa has had detrimental consequences on the ecosystem and people's health. There is a need for an improved sustainable food waste management system on the continent. Biomethane from organic resources could be upgraded into bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG), which could be used as green fuel for the environment, climate, and human health. This study evaluates the environmental and electricity benefits of bio-CNG derived from food waste in African nations. The major findings show that the annual bio-CNG yield from food waste in Africa is 98.34 × 109 m3/y, and that could generate 4035.7 GWh/y of electricity. The annual electricity generation could contribute 3.4 % (on average) to Africa's estimated electricity needs (798,958.7 GWh). The findings also show that using energy generated from bio-CNG could substitute for 94.47 million L of diesel fuel annually, resulting in a 256.71 kt CO2eq/y reduction in global warming. This research has the potential to inform policy decisions on the ecological viability of bio-CNG to power projects in Africa and other developing nations.

Effects of zero-valent iron and magnetite on ethanol and lactic acid production in the anaerobic fermentation of food waste

With the increasing global concern about food waste management, finding efficient ways to convert it into valuable products is crucial. The addition of zero-valent iron and magnetite to enhance ethanol and lactic acid fermentation yields from food waste emerges as a potential solution. This study compared the effects of 50-nm and 500-nm particle sizes of zero-valent iron and magnetite on ethanol and lactic acid fermentation and analyzed the mechanism of action from the perspective of organic matter material transformation and microbiology. The experimental results showed that 500-nm particle size magnetite and zero-valent iron could promote the hydrolysis of polysaccharides and proteins. 500-nm particle size magnetite could increase ethanol production (1.4-fold of the control), while 500-nm particle size zero-valent iron could increase lactic acid production (2.8-fold of the control). Metagenomic analysis showed that 500-nm magnetite increased the abundance of genes for amino acid metabolic functions, while 500-nm zero-valent iron increased the abundance of glycoside hydrolase genes (1.3-fold of the control). It's worth noting that while these findings are promising, they are based on controlled experimental conditions, and real-world applications may vary. his research not only offers a novel approach to augmenting anaerobic fermentation yields but also contributes to sustainable food waste management practices, potentially reducing environmental impacts and creating valuable products.

A systematic review of country-specific drivers and barriers to household food waste reduction and prevention.

Food waste is a global challenge that threatens the sustainable development of human societies. Although food waste is produced in all stages of the food supply chain, household food waste is the biggest contributor to the food waste fraction. In this research, we systematically reviewed 54 empirical studies to explore drivers and barriers to household food waste reduction and prevention. Key aspects, such as comprehension and perception of food waste issues, practices and lifestyles, were examined. Our findings suggest that a great understanding of the impact of one's food waste on health, environment and economy directly promotes food waste management. Additionally, the food waste issue is not attributed to a single factor, it may differ varies across countries. The majority of the reviewed literature on household food waste comes from European countries, where similar geographical, economic and cultural characteristics may lead to comparable drivers and barriers. This could be the reason for showing optimistic experience to the respective food waste management interventions. However, the applicability of these findings and interventions to regions beyond Europe are uncertain. Future studies should also be expanded to include regions such as Asia, North America, Africa, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean. To support the sustainable management of household food waste, mapping country-specific food waste determinants is crucial in developing easy-to-implement food waste interventions that can specifically address the food waste issue in each country.

Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Efficiency of Four Treatment Methods for Sustainable Food Waste Management

Food waste (FW) increases with urbanization and population growth, which puts pressure on the treatment system, causing a variety of harmful impacts on the environment. Proper FW treatment is imperative for ecological integrity and public health. Even though FW treatment is an extensively studied topic, the sustainable FW treatment considering holistic-lifecycle-based environmental impacts has rarely been evaluated. This study addresses this gap through a comprehensive analysis of various FW treatment methods, including co-treatment with sewage, anaerobic digestion, incineration, and aerobic composting. The impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and energy use efficiency are assessed by analyzing diverse FW treatment methods in Shenzhen, China. The study indicates that FW addition to sewage does not adversely affect the current sewage treatment plant, but benefits GHG avoidance and energy recovery. Compared with the other FW treatment methods, FW anaerobic digestion avoids the most GHG emissions with −71.3 kg CO2 eq/FU and recovers the most energy with −223 kWh/FU, followed by FW co-treated with sewage. The energy conversion efficiency of the combined heat and power (CHP) unit greatly affects FW incineration, while energy consumption in incineration and anaerobic digestion (AD) process is relatively minor. Perturbation analysis pinpoints key parameters influencing outcomes, including CHP efficiency, GHG emission factor of local electricity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in FW with ratios of −13~−0.942, −0.518~0.22, and −13~1.01, respectively, that should be given special attention. This study sheds light on sustainable FW management strategies, not only in China but also transferrable to regions confronting similar challenges. Advocating ecologically balanced and resource-efficient approaches, the study aligns with broader aims of fostering sustainable development.

Introduction of sustainable food waste-derived biochar for phase change material assembly to enhance energy storage capacity and enable circular economy

Production and utilization of renewable materials receive considerable attention to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking and create a sustainable society. Phase-change materials (PCMs) have emerged as a novel energy storage technology but usually suffer inherent insufficient thermal stability and liquid leakage, thereby requiring solid supporting materials. However, there are complications in the synthesis of PCM-supporting materials, including environmental issues. In this regard, upcycling biowaste into higher value carbon materials, inspired by the low cost and availability of feedstocks, is a promising strategy for dealing with challenges caused by waste and global climate change. Thus, we designed food waste-derived biochar-supported PCMs using a facile vacuum impregnation method to overcome these limitations. Porous biochar materials with a certain degree of graphitization, high specific surface area (SSA), (up to 1195 m2 g−1), and micro-/mesopore distribution were prepared from sustainable and commercially available food waste through carbonization and activation. They displayed greater carbon lattice expansion after undergoing KOH activation and being washed than that shown by carbon materials synthesized without activation. Thereby, the graphitic carbon materials presented high loading ratios and corresponding enthalpy values that were 243.9, 302, 346.9, and 251.4 % higher than those of the composites prepared without activation, encapsulated only 15 wt% of octadecane. Additionally, the composite PCMs exhibited high thermal stability without leakage above the melting temperature of pristine PCM. Textural properties, including the SSA, interconnected pores, activation, graphite-like characteristics, and intermolecular interactions between the composite constituents, were integral to the enhanced thermal performance of the as-synthesized composite PCMs. Furthermore, the composite demonstrated high durability, showing potential for thermal management, sustainable management of food waste, and mitigation of climate change.

Challenging the food waste hierarchy

Food waste is a multi-faceted and complex problem for urban circular economies with far-reaching environmental impacts. Effectively addressing this problem requires a comprehensive understanding of the food waste impacts on food, energy, water, and climate (FEWC) systems. Despite complex dynamics in the FEWC nexus, the most popular guidance for food waste management is the food waste hierarchy framework – which fails to account for ensuing impacts on all nexus elements.Aiming to optimise the framework, we adopt a participatory approach to develop the first comprehensive and replicable system dynamics model of the FEWC footprints of urban food waste throughout the agri-food supply chain. The quantitative model compares different food waste management options, and relevant policies in Bristol, UK (2018–2030).Unlike the guidance of the traditional waste hierarchy framework, our findings show that the preferability of each option can vary for each sector within the supply chain and for each FEWC element. Our results show that increasing food surplus redistribution in the supply sectors and reducing food waste in consumer sectors are the most preferable approaches to reduce the environmental impacts of food. Feeding food leftover to pets at household level also has a promising impact. Other options involve trade-offs between energy and carbon footprints, while having minimal impact on water footprint.We conclude that the traditional food waste hierarchy is too simplified to provide reliable guidance for environmentally sustainable food waste management and policy. Instead, we present an improved food waste hierarchy framework that accounts for the scale of preferability of each option for different sectors and different FEWC nexus elements. This novel framework thus provides more nuanced and more robust understanding of food waste impacts on the FEWC nexus in urban circular economies, thereby enabling the development of policy and management options that are optimised for environmental sustainability.

Sustainable Food Waste Management Practices: Perspectives from Five-Star Hotels in Thailand

Although food waste management has been significant for all stakeholders from all industries globally, research in hospitality food waste management and practices still needs to be further studied, especially in five-star hotels in developing countries. Using the Food Waste Hierarchy, this study proposes to contribute to the knowledge of sustainable food waste management and practices in five medium and large five-star hotels to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Findings of in-depth structured questions from purposive and snowballing samplings show different aspects of sustainable food waste management and practices at these hotels supported by policies and implemented by practices at all levels, from top management to operations levels. The thematical analysis shows four emerging themes: food waste management policies; food service planning, procurement, and storage; food waste handling and operations in the kitchens, staff canteen and restaurants; and food waste management through reusing, recycling, donations, and disposal. The findings highlight these hotels’ challenges and suggestions for sustainable food waste management and practices. By providing the current situation of sustainable food waste management and practices, this study embellishes the guidance and recommendations for the hotels’ restaurants. It augments the industry practitioners with actual practices and solutions in implementing sustainable food waste management and practices in hotels’ restaurants.

Megacity's pathway toward sustainable food waste management and its environmental performance in a developing country: Evidence from Shanghai, China

Due to the far distance impact on resident, aquatic and soil ecosystem health, food waste disposal becomes the focus of municipal waste strategy in developing countries. Shanghai is a leading city in China, its evolution of food waste management can indicate the coming future of the nation. In this city, from 1986 to 2020, the open dumping, landfill and incineration of food waste had been gradually banned, replaced by centralized compost and anaerobic digestion and other recovery ways. This study selected ten scenarios, ever used for food/mixed waste disposal in Shanghai, and analyzed the environmental impact change during the period 1986–2020. Life cycle assessment showed that although the generation of food waste raised rapidly, the total environmental impact, which was dominated by Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity Potential, displayed a sharp decrease as 96.09 %, and Global Warming Potential decreased by 28.14 %. Substantial efforts should be made to improve the collection rate of biogas and landfill gas to reduce environmental impact, and quality of residues from anaerobic digestion and compost plants should be improved and utilized in its legal ways. Driving forces for the goal of sustainable food waste management in Shanghai involved economic development, environmental regulations and the supporting national/local standards.