Exploration of Converting Food Waste into Value-Added Products via Insect Pretreatment-Assisted Hydrothermal Catalysis

Abstract

The environmental burden of food waste (FW) disposal coupled with natural resource scarcity has aroused interest in FW valorization; however, transforming FW into valuable products remains a challenge because of its heterogeneous nature. In this study, a two-stage method involving black soldier fly (BSF)-based insect pretreatment and subsequent hydrothermal catalysis over a single-atom cerium-incorporated hydroxyapatite (Ce-HAP) was explored to convert FW into high added-value furfurals (furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural). FW consisting of cereal, vegetables, meat, eggs, oil, and salt was initially degraded by BSF larvae to generate homogeneous BSF biomass, and then, crucial parameters impacting the conversion of BSF biomass into furfurals were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, 9.3 wt % yield of furfurals was attained, and repeated trials confirmed the recyclability of Ce-HAP. It was proved that the revenue of furfural production from FW by this two-stage method ranged from 3.14 to 584.4 USD/tonne. This study provides a potential technical orientation for FW resource utilization.

Orange Peel Waste as Feedstock for the Production of Glycerol-Free Biodiesel by the Microalgae Nannochloropsis oculata

“…The bioconversion of agri-food waste into high-value products is gaining interest [1] as such wastes have increased as the global population and economy have grown [2,3]. The incorrect disposal of food waste has several negative impacts on the environment, including bad smells, gas emissions, and groundwater contamination [1].…”