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Life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of a novel process for converting food waste to ethanol and co-products

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  • Ebner, Jacqueline
  • Babbitt, Callie
  • Winer, Martin
  • Hilton, Brian
  • Williamson, Anahita

Abstract

Waste-to-ethanol conversion is a promising technology to provide renewable transportation fuel while mitigating feedstock risks and land use conflicts. It also has the potential to reduce environmental impacts from waste management such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change. This paper analyzes the life cycle GHG emissions associated with a novel process for the conversion of food processing waste into ethanol (EtOH) and the co-products of compost and animal feed. Data are based on a pilot plant co-fermenting retail food waste with a sugary industrial wastewater, using a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process at room temperature with a grinding pretreatment. The process produced 295L EtOH/dry t feedstock. Lifecycle GHG emissions associated with the ethanol production process were 1458gCO2e/L EtOH. When the impact of avoided landfill emissions from diverting food waste to use as feedstock are considered, the process results in net negative GHG emissions and approximately 500% improvement relative to corn ethanol or gasoline production. This finding illustrates how feedstock and alternative waste disposal options have important implications in life cycle GHG results for waste-to-energy pathways.

Suggested Citation

  • Ebner, Jacqueline & Babbitt, Callie & Winer, Martin & Hilton, Brian & Williamson, Anahita, 2014. "Life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of a novel process for converting food waste to ethanol and co-products," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 86-93.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:130:y:2014:i:c:p:86-93
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.04.099
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dwidar, Mohammed & Lee, Siseon & Mitchell, Robert J., 2012. "The production of biofuels from carbonated beverages," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 47-51.
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    1. Santagata, R. & Ripa, M. & Ulgiati, S., 2017. "An environmental assessment of electricity production from slaughterhouse residues. Linking urban, industrial and waste management systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(P2), pages 175-188.
    2. Zhao, Ning & You, Fengqi, 2021. "Food-energy-water-waste nexus systems optimization for New York State under the COVID-19 pandemic to alleviate health and environmental concerns," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(PA).
    3. Aikaterini Konti & Dimitris Kekos & Diomi Mamma, 2020. "Life Cycle Analysis of the Bioethanol Production from Food Waste—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-14, October.
    4. Cheng, F. & Brewer, C.E., 2021. "Conversion of protein-rich lignocellulosic wastes to bio-energy: Review and recommendations for hydrolysis + fermentation and anaerobic digestion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    5. Meng, Fanran & Dornau, Aritha & Mcqueen Mason, Simon J. & Thomas, Gavin H. & Conradie, Alex & McKechnie, Jon, 2021. "Bioethanol from autoclaved municipal solid waste: Assessment of environmental and financial viability under policy contexts," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    6. Jin, Yiying & Chen, Ting & Chen, Xin & Yu, Zhixin, 2015. "Life-cycle assessment of energy consumption and environmental impact of an integrated food waste-based biogas plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 227-236.
    7. Lam, Chor-Man & Leng, Ling & Chen, Pi-Cheng & Lee, Po-Heng & Hsu, Shu-Chien, 2017. "Eco-efficiency analysis of non-potable water systems in domestic buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 293-307.
    8. Hegde, Swati & Lodge, Jeffery S. & Trabold, Thomas A., 2018. "Characteristics of food processing wastes and their use in sustainable alcohol production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 510-523.
    9. Wu, Wentao & Beretta, Claudio & Cronje, Paul & Hellweg, Stefanie & Defraeye, Thijs, 2019. "Environmental trade-offs in fresh-fruit cold chains by combining virtual cold chains with life cycle assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    10. Nicholas Davison & Jaime Borbolla Gaxiola & Divya Gupta & Anurag Garg & Timothy Cockerill & Yuzhou Tang & Xueliang Yuan & Andrew Ross, 2022. "Potential Greenhouse Gas Mitigation for Converting High Moisture Food Waste into Bio-Coal from Hydrothermal Carbonisation in India, Europe and China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-37, February.
    11. Xu, Changqing & Shi, Wenxiao & Hong, Jinglan & Zhang, Fangfang & Chen, Wei, 2015. "Life cycle assessment of food waste-based biogas generation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 169-177.
    12. Hebda, Cam & Gaustad, Gabrielle & Williamson, Anahita & Trabold, Thomas, 2016. "Determining economically optimal household organic material management pathways," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 88-96.
    13. Khatiwada, Dilip & Venkata, Bharadwaj K. & Silveira, Semida & Johnson, Francis X., 2016. "Energy and GHG balances of ethanol production from cane molasses in Indonesia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 756-768.
    14. Fayyazbakhsh, Ahmad & Pirouzfar, Vahid, 2017. "Comprehensive overview on diesel additives to reduce emissions, enhance fuel properties and improve engine performance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 891-901.
    15. Daniel Hoehn & María Margallo & Jara Laso & Ana Fernández-Ríos & Israel Ruiz-Salmón & Rubén Aldaco, 2022. "Energy Systems in the Food Supply Chain and in the Food Loss and Waste Valorization Processes: A Systematic Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.
    16. Mariana Ferdeș & Bianca Ștefania Zăbavă & Gigel Paraschiv & Mariana Ionescu & Mirela Nicoleta Dincă & Georgiana Moiceanu, 2022. "Food Waste Management for Biogas Production in the Context of Sustainable Development," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-27, August.

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