Utilization of Food Wastes For Sustainable Development
Utilization of Food Wastes For Sustainable Development
Utilization of Food Wastes For Sustainable Development
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5 AUTHORS, INCLUDING:
Iheanyi Omezuruike Okonko
University of Port Harcourt
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ISSN: 1579-4377
Iheanyi Omezuruike Okonko1*, 2Ogunnusi, Tolulope Adeola, 3Fajobi Enobong Aloysius, 4Adejoye, Oluseyi
Damilola and 3Ogunjobi Adeniyi Adewale
1
Department of Virology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University College
Hospital (UCH), University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
2
Department of Basic Sciences, Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Niger State,
3
Enviromental Microbiology and Biotechnology Unit, Department of Botany and Microbiology, University
of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
4
Department of Biology, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria
* mac2finney@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
This review article deals with the alternative means of handling food wastes including the
conversion of wastes from gari industry, cassava peels, shaft from processed cassava,
yam, plaintain, banana agro-waste, corncobs, citrus, pastures and sugar cane, forage,
organic wastes etc. into useful products for human and animal consumption in Nigeria.
The biconversion of waste to useable energy is also a part of utilization of waste, as by
burning solid fuel for heat, by fermenting plant matter to produce fuel, as ethanol, or by
bacterial decomposition of organic waste to produce methanol. Alternative means of
handling food wastes focus more on utilization rather than disposal. Thus, the possibility
of producing a useful product from wastes will greatly ehnance and ensure sustainable
economic development in Nigeria and the world at large.
KEYWORDS
Conversion, quality, product development, sustainable development, wastes utilization.
INTRODUCTION
More recently the problem of effluent from processing operation and their disposal has
gained public recognition. In many areas of the world, especially the developing
countries, the environmental issues are the same (Okonko et al., 2006; Shittu et al.,
2007). Human beings produce large quantities of wastes as we go about our daily lives.
From our homes come wastes from food preparation, washing machines, baths, toilets,
newspapers, junk mail, packaging, hobbies, auto and home maintenance projects, and the
landscape. In addition, wastes are generated in producing the goods and services we
utilize.
Waste is defined as any material, which has not yet been fully utilized, i.e. the
leftovers from production and consumption. However, waste is an expensive and
sometimes unavoidable result of human activity. It includes plant materials; agricultural,
industrial, and municipal wastes and residues. Waste also refers to liquid or solid
discharged from residences, business premises, small scale industries, and institutions. In
general, waste can be characterized based on its bulk or organic contents, physical
characteristics, and specific contaminants (Okonko et al., 2006). According to Okonko et
al. (2006), each waste contains its unique quality and characteristics, which then suggests
the type of treatment required. The two divisions of waste Domestic and Industrial
effluent have different make-ups and often require various treatment processes. Though,
waste treatment is generally classified into four levels: primary, secondary, tertiary, and
quaternary treatment with each treatment level aimed at removing a more specific class
of contaminants (Mc Langhlin, 1992; Aririatu et al., 1999; Okonko et al., 2006).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Sustainable development is a process in which the exploitation of resources, the
direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and the
institutional changes are all made consistent with future as well as the present needs.
Sustainable development helps achieve the necessary balance between the resolution of
social and economic problems and the protection of the environment, the provision of
desirable living conditions for the present generations and measures taken to preserve
these conditions for future generations.
Sustainable development is also a key phrase used by politicians, economists and
environmentalists. Sustainable advancement and development in relation to a nation is
the process of making living, that area of land and/or water more useful or profitable for
mankind. The life sickness affects over 30% of global socio-economic and sustainable
development turnover by way of healthcare, food and energy, agriculture and forestry.
This percentage impact will grow with biotechnological developments which are
increasingly improving the efficiencies of production processes in all spheres of life. This
therefore implies that biotechnology occupy a very strategic position in the socioeconomic advancement and sustainable development of the nation in particular and the
world at large. Scientific advances through the years have relied on the development of
new tools to improve socio-economy such as health care, agricultural production, and
environmental protection (Okonko et al., 2006).
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Bioconversion
Biological processes for the conversion of wastes to fuels include ethanol
fermentation by yeast or bacteria, and methane production by microbial consortia under
anaerobic conditions. Bioconversion is referred to as the enzyme-mediated conversion of
organic substrates, such as cellulose, to other more valuable substances, such as protein,
by other organisms. The conversion of biomass to useable energy, as by burning solid
fuel for heat, by fermenting plant matter to produce fuel, as ethanol, or by bacterial
decomposition of organic waste to produce methanol is also referred to as bioconversion
(Okonko et al., 2006).
Bioremediation
One of the promising methods for toxic waste cleanup problems is
bioremediation. Bioremediation is a environmental biotechnology process that use either
naturally occurring or deliberately introduced microorganisms, to consume and
breakdown environmental pollutants into harmless by-products such as water, CO2 and
salts, in order to cleanup a polluted site. Naturally occurring bacteria or fungi that
degrade specific substances are isolated, cloned, and manufactured in large quantities and
introduced as combinations of microorganisms into a hazardous waste site to eliminate
specific contaminants. Under carefully controlled conditions, it is a practical and cost
effective method to remove pollutants from contaminated surfaces and subsurfaces.
Biotechnological Processes
In the industry the production processes are now being modified using
biotechnology for reduction in pollution caused by the conventional methods. The
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biotechnological processes also prove to be very economical and also they provide
products, which are better or at least equal in quality to the conventional methods. But in
these processes the cost of pollution eradication is also saved as these processes generally
give out very little or nil pollution and are more efficient than the conventional processes.
Biotechnology serves as a solution to many problems in various fields ranging from fuels
to many other cleaner and innovative clean up technologies. Some examples are:
1. Biotechnological production of biosurfactants
2. Biochemical conversion of lignocelluloses substrates to cellulose, liquid glucose,
and value added chemicals.
Biotechnological, bioremediation or bioconversion process is often successful and
the most inexpensive method, it is only one of many techniques for dealing with
hazardous wastes. This biological waste treatment or bioconversion is desirable because
it is inexpensive, can be done at the site of pollution, and causes minimal physical
disturbance to the surrounding area compared to other methods (Okonko et al., 2006).
Biocatalysis
To develop biocatalytic methods for the conversion of crop derived carbohydrates
to high value polysaccharides or oligosaccharides. The project composed of two major
objectives. Develop biocatalytic methods for the conversion of starch, corn coproducts,
beet sugar, or cane sugar to value-added oligosaccharides.
Biofilm reactors
Nicolella et al. (2000) reported that biofilm reactors are in operation at industrial
scale throughout the world. Use of biofilm reactors is anticipated to be economical for the
production of these industrial chemicals. It has been reported that the best biofilms were
obtained with Pseudomonas fragi, Streptomyces viridosporus, and Thermoactinomyces
vulgaris when used in combination with polypropylene composite chips.
SOURCES AND NATURE OF FOOD WASTE FOR BIOPRODUCT
DEVELOPMENTS
Waste contains three primary constituents: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin,
and can contain other compounds (e.g. extractives). Cellulose and hemicellulose are
carbohydrates that can be broken down by enzymes, acids, or other compounds to simple
sugars, and then fermented to produce ethanol renewable electricity, fuels, and biomassbased products (Puri, 1984; Wyman and Goodman, 1993; van Wyk, 2001). When the
amount of organic agricultural waste, such as corn stalks, leaves and wheat straw from
wheat-processing facilities, sawdust and other residues from wood mills, is also
considered, this component of solid waste could be a principal resource for
biodevelopment (Louwrier, 1998; van Wyk, 2001). Materials of organic origin are known
as biomass (a term that describes energy materials that emanate from biological sources)
and are of major importance to sustainable development because they are renewable as
opposed to non-organic materials and fossil carbohydrates (van Wyk, 2001).
Common farm organic wastes such as maize cobs, banana peels, pawpaw fruit
peels, maize chaff, stumps of palm tree, palm tree inflorescence, maize stem, rice straw
and spinch weeds were earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) garden snail (Limicolaria aurora)
and palm grub (Oryctes rhinoceros). It was demonstrated by Omoyinmi et al. (2004) that
animal protein production varied from 0.91g/kg to 1.41g/kg of waste in earthworm, from
1.15g/kg to 1.40g/kg of waste in garden snail and from 0.90g/kg to 1.60g/kg of waste in
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palm grub. It was also shown that the short life cycle and production of large number of
offsprings could be harnessed for the raising of feed for fish/livestock and in some cases
human consumption. This culture of invertebrates offered economic benefits to the
farmer and it improved on the environmental quality by transforming wastes into
beneficial products.
A surveys on the potential for biomass waste to alleviate energy problems in
Tanzania through utilization of agro-industrial residues for anaerobic conversion into
biogas and biodiesel, sisal industry, the largest producer of agro-industrial residues, has a
potential to produce energy that could greatly supplement the current shortfall of
hydropower generation (Kivaisi and Rubindamayugi, 1996).
In 2004, Kareem and Akpan reported that the use of agricultural by-products as
substrate for enzyme production was cheap and could facilitate large scale production of
industrial enzymes in the tropics. Eight isolates of Rhizopus sp. was obtained from the
environment and were grown on solid media for the production of pectinase enzymes.
Three media formulated from agricultural materials were the following: medium A
(Ricebran + Cassava Starch, 10:2w/w); Medium B (Cassava Starch + Soyabean, 1:2
w/w); Medium C (Ricebran + Soyabean + Casein hydrolysate, 10:20.5 w/w). The result
obtained by Kareem and Akpan (2004) showed that medium A gave the highest pectinase
activity of 1533.33u/ml followed by medium A and C with 1,366.66 and 1066.00/ml
respectively after 72hrs fermentation. The three solid media supported profuse mycelial
growth of Rhizopus species and enhanced its pectinase producing potential (Kareem and
Akpan, 2004).
A comparative study of the performance of cow dung and poultry manure as
alternative nutrient sources in a bioremediation process was described by Obire and
Akinde (2005) and Chukwura et al. (2005). Obire and Akinde (2005) also reported that
that amelioration of oil polluted soil with cow dung and poultry manure facilitates the
disappearance of crude oil in the soil thereby increasing the rate of soil recovery. Poultry
manure performed better than Cow dung which will greatly enhanced food productivity
at such a time like this when the world at large is facing food crisis.
Coffee-husk and Pulp
Coffee husk and coffee pulp are coffee processing by-products. Some of the husk is used
as organic fertilizer (Cabezas et al. 1987) while coffee pulp has its application and
utilization in Swine feeding (Jarqun, 1987). The presence of tannins and caffeine
diminishes acceptability and palatability of husk by animals.
Caffeine
Caffeine is also a component of several cola drinks. The addition of caffeine in cola
drinks is responsible for almost 70% of the world's pure caffeine trading (Mazzafera,
2002; Mazzafera et al., 2002). Asano et al (1993) reported a successful microbial
production of theobromine from caffeine while Braham and Bressani (1987) and Bressani
and Braham (1987a,b) have reported the potential uses of coffee berry byproducts and the
composition, technology, and utilization of coffee pulp in other species as well as its antiphysiological factors. The popularity of coffee beverage is also based on the stimulant
effect of caffeine, because of this pharmacological effect; caffeine has long been added to
medical formulations to compensate the depressive effects of other drugs (James, 1991).
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Citrus Pulp
According to Wing (1975) and Wing et al (2003), the Florida Citrus Exchange
established a fellowship for research into uses of citrus waste in 1911 and thus launched
an area of investigation which remains strongly productive. Involved primarily is citrus
pulp, consisting mainly of the rag, peel, and seeds of oranges with minor amounts from
other fruits (Hendrickson and Kesterson, 1965). This waste collects on concrete slabs or
in open pits at canneries. Cattle eat citrus pulp in the fresh state, but it accumulates too
fast for current consumption, and it ferments and spoils too rapidly to save as it is
produced. The feeding value and nutritive properties of citrus by-products proved that the
digestible nutrients of dried grapefruit refuse were good for growing heifers (Neal et al.,
1935).
Citrus Molasses
Citrus molasses also serves as a substrate for fermentation in the beverage-alcohol
industry (Becker et al., 1946). The remaining distillery waste can be condensed to a very
acceptable feedstuff high in pentose sugars and, because of yeast used for fermentation,
high in good quality protein. Large and increasing amounts of citrus molasses are used
for production of beverage alcohol. The remaining sugars, which are pentoses, cannot be
used by the beverage industry, but they are an excellent source of energy for cattle.
Cassava Wastes
Disposal of agricultural byproducts such as cassava wastes from processing activities is
becoming a concern in Nigeria due to its foul dour. Conversion of these low-value
cassava wastes into biosorbent that can remove toxic and valuable metals from industrial
wastewater would increase their market value and ultimately benefit the millions of
cassava starch, garri and fufu producers. Cassava is a major staple food in Nigeria and
therefore produces large volumes of wastes, which has been creating environmental
nuisance in the region (Horsfall et al. 2003)
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), a major staple food in many tropical
countries like Nigeria and therefore produces large volumes of wastes, which has been
creating environmental nuisance in the region (Vlavonou, 1989). Disposal of agricultural
byproducts such as cassava wastes from processing activities is becoming a concern in
Nigeria due to its foul odour. Conversion of these low-value cassava wastes into
biosorbent that can remove toxic and valuable metals from industrial wastewater would
increase their market value and ultimately benefit the millions of cassava starch, garri and
foofoo producers (Horsfall et al. 2003).
Cassava also has to be processed in various ways to reduce its cyanide content to
safe levels for human consumption. One of the traditional forms into which the tuber is
processed is a granular starchy product called gari. In the processing of gari, the
cassava roots are peeled, washed, grated and dewatered with presses. It is sometimes
allowed to ferment in the press bag for 1-4 days for flavour development. The dewatered
meal is sieved to remove large fibres and roasted in large shallow open pots to get garri.
The grating and dewatering are the most important unit processes vital for the
detoxification of the product, though the roasting step also serves to volatize remnant
HCN. Large volumes of starchy effluent are generated during the dewatering or pressing
step as waste.
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Cocoyam tubers
Cocoyam (Colocesia esculenta) is an edible root crop belonging to the family Aracea. It
makes significant contribution both as root crops and vegetables in the diet of people,
particularly Nigerians and Africans at large. The percentage of starch (72%) in cocoyam
was exploited in the production of ethanol and vinegar by Braide et al. (2005). This was
achieved by two distinct biochemical processes brought about by the action of
microorganisms under controlled environmental conditions. The first process called
alcoholic fermentation was brought about by yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensisi) and
the second process acetic acid fermentation (acetification) was brought about by an acetic
acid bacteria (Acetobacter sp.). Saccharification of gelatinized mash undergo two (2)
stages of enzyme hydrolysis, namely bacteria alpha-amylase (Amylic-TS) and fungal
alpha-amylase (AGM) to produce fermentable sugars. Statistically, there exist a
significant difference in the aroma and colour, but not in taste between cocoyam vinegar
compared with commercial cider and white vinegar at 95% confidence limit.
Soy Whey/Soybean Curd Residue
Agarose-entraped Aspergillus niger cells has been used for the production of citric acid
from soy whey (Khare, 1994). Soybean curd residue supplement has been found to be
very significant for enhancement of methane production from pretreated woody waste
(Take et al., 2005).
Mango Peels
The use of fermented and unfermented mango peels (Mangifera indica-R) as animal
feeds was reported by Ojokoh (2005). Ripe mango peels (Mangifera indica-R) was
naturally fermented for 96 hours at room temperature (30OC). The quality of the
unfermented and fermented mango peels were accessed by determining the proximate
composition, mineral contents, anti-nutritional content as well as the microbiological
quality. The result of the proximate analysis revealed that there was an increase in the
protein content of the ripe mango peels fermented with value of 8.64% contents. Ojokoh
(2005) used the fermented and unfermented samples to feed albino rats and found that
there was an increase in the daily weight of the albino rat feds with these mango peels.
Banana Agro-Waste
Banana is major cash crop of this region generating vast agricultural waste after harvest.
The agro-waste including dried leaves and psuedostem after harvest was used as substrate
for the release of sugars. Thus, under these conditions the agro-waste left behind for
natural degradation can be utilized affectively to yield fermentable sugars which can be
converted into other substances like alcohol (Baig et al., 2003).
Processed Food Waste
Food waste can be defined as any edible material or byproduct that is generated in the
production, processing, transportation, distribution, or consumption of food. The primary
waste products fed to swine are plate and kitchen waste, bakery waste, and food products
from grocery stores and this has proved very valuable as reported by many authors
(MWPS, 1993) and dehydrated restaurant food waste products are used as feedstuffs for
finishing pigs (Myer et al., 1999).
Biosolids
Biosolids are nutrient-rich, predominantly organic materials. Although classified as a
waste material, biosolids can be a beneficial agricultural or horticultural resource because
they contain many essential plant nutrients and organic matter. Following proper
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biomass before decrystallization and hydrolysis of the cellulose fraction (LaForge and
Hudson, 1918) while Castellonos et al. (1995) reported the comparative evaluation of
hydrolytic efficiency toward microcrystalline cellulose of Penicillium & Trichoderma
cellulases.
Improvements in acidsugar separation and recovery have opened the door for
commercial applications and the current economics of this opportunity are driven by the
availability of a cheap feedstock that usually poses a disposal or waste problem (Sheeman
and Himmal, 1999).
POTENTIAL BIOBASED PRODUCTS AND APPLICATIONS
Wastes from biomass can also provide raw materials for a diversity of biobased products.
For e.g. plastics from biomass are being produced using polylactic acid from corn.
According to Block (1999) executive order and proposed bill will boost biobased
products and bioenergy in nations that sees the need for it.
Production of Biofuel
The demand for ethanol has the most significant market where ethanol is either used as a
chemical feedstock or as an octane enhancer or petrol additive Brazil produces ethanol
from the fermentation of cane juice whereas in the USA corn is used. In the US, fuel
ethanol has been used in gasohol or oxygenated fuels since the 1980s. These gasoline
fuels contain up to 10% ethanol by volume (Sun and Cheng, 2002). The production of
ethanol from sugars or starch impacts negatively on the economics of the process, thus
making ethanol more expensive compared with fossil fuels. However, the huge amounts
of residual plant biomass considered as waste can potentially be converted into various
different value-added products including biofuels, chemicals, and cheap energy sources
for fermentation, improved animal feeds and human nutrients. High energy liquid fuels
are also derived from plants (Nemethy et al., 1980).
Production of Biogas
Biogas is a renewable fuel and electricity produced from it can be used to attract
renewable energy subsidies in some parts of the world (Wikipedia, 2008). Depending on
where it is produced, biogas can also be called swamp, marsh, landfill or digester gas. A
biogas plant is the name often given to an anaerobic digester that treats farm wastes or
energy crops. Biogas can be produced utilizing anaerobic digesters. These plants can be
fed with energy crops such as maize silage or biodegradable wastes including sewage
sludge and food waste. The prospects for biogas cannot be underestimated (Pankhurst,
1983). The composition of biogas varies depending upon the origin of the anaerobic
digestion process. Landfill gas typically has methane concentrations around 50%.
Advanced waste treatment technologies can produce biogas with 55-75% CH4 (Adelaide,
2007; Kolumbus, 2007; Wikipedia, 2008).
Biogas can be utilized for electricity production, space heating, water heating and
process heating. If compressed, it can replace compressed natural gas for use in vehicles,
where it can fuel an internal combustion engine or fuel cells. Methane within biogas can
be concentrated to the same standards as natural gas, when it is, it is called biomethane. If
concentrated and compressed it can also be used in vehicle transportation (Wikipedia,
2008).
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Forage producers can make good use of many materials considered wastes. Layer
and broiler manure, dairy manure, septage and biosolids, composted urban plant debris,
phosphogypsum, and waste lime from municipal water treatment plants are examples of
materials that can be used for fertilizing and liming pastures and fields. Often these
materials can be obtained at little or no cost to the farmer or rancher. In some
circumstances the land owner may be paid for taking the waste, thus collecting a disposal
fee while the soil and crops benefit from the materials added. Forage crops such as corn
silage and hay are excellent candidates for such application since they remove nutrients
in significant quantities (Kidder, 2002).
APPLICATION POTENTIALS OF BIOPRODUCTS
The question now will be do food wastes pollute the soil? Not if the materials are chosen
carefully and applied properly. A waste in one situation can be a resource in another.
Animal manures have been returned to the land as fertilizer and soil conditioner for
centuries. Yard wastes have much the same composition as crop residues, which are
considered an asset in good soil management. The Center for Biomass Utilization focuses
on developing the following technologies: Cofiring biomass with coal using agricultural
wastes and food-processing wastes to produce transportation fuels and chemical
feedstocks.
A wide variety of biomass resources are available on our planet for conversion
into bioproducts. These may include whole plants, plant parts (e.g. seeds, stalks), plant
constituents (e.g. starch, lipids, protein and fibre), processing byproducts (distillers
grains, corn solubles), materials of marine origin and animal byproducts, municipal and
industrial wastes (Smith et al., 1987). These resources can be used to create new
biomaterials and this will require an intimate understanding of the composition of the raw
material whether it is whole plant or constituents, so that the desired functional elements
can be obtained for bioproduct production (Howard et al., 2003).
Application of biotechnology to the processing of food (including beverages)
produced from agriculture has proved highly valuable (Cooper, 2003). Indeed, the
combination of bio-based feedstock, bio-processes and new products offers the potential
to revolutionize chemical industry structures. In less than 10 years, integrated biorefineries will play a role comparable to today's oil and gas crackers. They will make use
of row crops, energy crops, agricultural waste and food waste as inputs to extract oil and
starch for food, protein for feed, lignin for combustion, cellulose for conversion into
fermentable sugars, as well as other by-products.
Sugar will be the key feedstock of the future, as it can be used to ferment ethanol
for transportation fuel, but also for a whole set of new, basic building blocks. Molecules
such as lactic acids, succinic acid, propylene glycol or 3-hydroxy propionic acid
produced at 20 cents per pound can catalyze the innovation of new chemical product
families, similar to the innovation boost based on the cracker chemicals in the middle of
this 21st century. Indeed, the combination of bio-based feedstock, bio-processes and new
products offers the potential to revolutionize chemical industry structures.
Biogas is used extensively throughout rural China and where wastewater
treatment and industry coincide (Wikipedia, 2008). The Biogas Support Program in
Nepal has installed over 100,000 biogas plants in rural areas. Vietnams Biogas
Programme for Animal Husbandry Sector has led to the installation of over 20,000 plants
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throughout that country. Biogas is also in use in rural Costa Rica. In Colombia
experiments with diesel engines-generator sets partially fuelled by biogas demonstrated
that biogas could be used for power generation, reducing elecricity costs by 40%
compared with purchase from the regional utility (Wikipedia, 2008). Owing to simplicity
in implementation and use of cheap raw materials in villages, it is one of the most
environmentally sound energy sources for rural needs.
Fossil oil and natural gas are being replaced by carbohydrates from renewable
resources as low-cost, renewable feedstock. in particular, the development of technology
to convert cellulosic biomass from agricultural waste, food waste or energy crops into
fermentable sugars offers the perspective of producing ethanol and other bulk organic
chemicals at low cost. The cost of biomass-based ethanol produced on a commercial
scale, for example, is expected to undercut the cost of gasoline with oil at $30 per barrel.
A first semi-commercial ethanol plant using straw is being operated by Iogen and Shell in
Canada. More companies have started their own endeavors in this field, including
Dupont, John Deere, Genencor, Novozymes, and Abengoa.
Entirely new bio-based products are competing against conventional products on
the basis of a superior cost/performance ratio, or are even fulfilling unmet market needs.
Enzymes, for example, are fast-growing bio-products that make washing powder more
effective, allow softer processing of textiles and pulp and paper, and reduce nitrogen
emissions from animal farming. Other examples are biopolymers; cargill dow's pla
(polylactide) offers a green alternative to pla at similar cost and performance - two largescale plants for further new bio-polymers are under construction - Dupont's Sorona and
Metabolix's phas (polyhydroxyalkanoate).
BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION OF FOOD WASTE
Compared to burning fossil fuel, there may be benefits associated with greenhouse gas
reduction with the creation of markets for agricultural waste where its disposal has a
negative effect on the environment. For example, the use of biomass as feedstock reduces
net carbon emissions to the atmosphere and provides reductions in methane emissions
from natural decay processes. The ecologically responsible removal of slash from logged
areas benefits the environment. The use of other agricultural residues also reduces
emissions of volatile organic compounds, odors, dust, and nuisances associated with
agricultural operations such as dairies and animal feeding operations. Improved
management of animal manure and solid wastes also reduces ground water contamination
(MWPS, 1993).
There are economic benefits from the biomass based industrial activities such as
electricity generation, erosion control, and for the production of fuels, animal feed, and
green or renewable chemicals (such as solvents and lubricants, polymers and plastics)
and increased food productivity. Total economic benefits derived from these activities
depend on the mixture of biomass based products generated from it, as well as the state of
maturity of these industries.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION OF FOOD WASTE
1. The effect of utilization of food waste on the water budget should be considered,
particularly where a shallow ground water table is present or in areas prone to
runoff.
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