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Turning Food Loss and Food Waste into Watts: A Review of Food Waste as an Energy Source

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  • Florentios Economou

    (Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, Sustainable Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 89, Latsia, Nicosia 2231, Cyprus
    Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Center (STeDI-RC), The Cyprus Institute, Aglantzia 2121, Cyprus)

  • Irene Voukkali

    (Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, Sustainable Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 89, Latsia, Nicosia 2231, Cyprus)

  • Iliana Papamichael

    (Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, Sustainable Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 89, Latsia, Nicosia 2231, Cyprus)

  • Valentina Phinikettou

    (Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, Sustainable Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 89, Latsia, Nicosia 2231, Cyprus)

  • Pantelitsa Loizia

    (Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Engineering Sustainability, Sustainable Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Giannou Kranidioti 89, Latsia, Nicosia 2231, Cyprus)

  • Vincenzo Naddeo

    (Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy)

  • Paolo Sospiro

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy)

  • Marco Ciro Liscio

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy)

  • Christos Zoumides

    (Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC), The Cyprus Institute, Aglantzia 2121, Cyprus)

  • Diana Mihaela Țîrcă

    (Head of the Center of Fundamental and Applied Economic Studies, Faculty of Economics Constantin Brancusi University of Targu-Jiu, Tineretului Street, No. 4, 210185 Targu-Jiu, Romania)

  • Antonis A. Zorpas

    (Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Center (STeDI-RC), The Cyprus Institute, Aglantzia 2121, Cyprus)

Abstract

Food loss (FL) and food waste (FW) have become severe global problems, contributing to resource inefficiency and environmental degradation. Approximately 6% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are derived from FW, which is usually discarded in landfills, emitting methane, a gas that is 28 times more harmful than CO 2 . Diverting the path of FW towards the energy industry represents a promising avenue to mitigate the environmental impact and save resources while generating energy substitutes. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was utilized to conduct a systematic literature review on 10 different conversion processes used to convert FL and FW into energy. Anaerobic bioconversion integrated with pyrolysis emerges as a potential eco-friendly and promising solution for FW management, nutrient recovery and energy production in various forms, including biogas, heat, biohydrogen and biochar. Despite its potential, the anaerobic digestion of FW still faces some challenges related to the production of intermediate harmful compounds (VOCs, NH 3 , H 2 S), which necessitate precise process control and optimization. Nonetheless, converting FW into energy can provide economic and environmental benefits in the context of the circular economy. This review offers insightful information to stakeholders, academics and policymakers who are interested in utilizing FW as a means of producing sustainable energy by summarizing the important findings of ten different waste-to-energy processing methods and their potential for improved energy recovery efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Florentios Economou & Irene Voukkali & Iliana Papamichael & Valentina Phinikettou & Pantelitsa Loizia & Vincenzo Naddeo & Paolo Sospiro & Marco Ciro Liscio & Christos Zoumides & Diana Mihaela Țîrcă & , 2024. "Turning Food Loss and Food Waste into Watts: A Review of Food Waste as an Energy Source," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-30, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:13:p:3191-:d:1424892
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anna Rolewicz-Kalińska & Krystyna Lelicińska-Serafin & Piotr Manczarski, 2025. "Selection Path for Energy-Efficient Food Waste Management in Urban Areas: Scenario Analysis and Insights from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-30, January.
    2. Piotr Sulewski & Adam Wąs, 2024. "Agriculture as Energy Prosumer: Review of Problems, Challenges, and Opportunities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-35, December.

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