From refuse to resource: exploring technological and economic dimensions of waste-to-energy

Abstract

Waste valorization offers a sustainable approach to waste management and the generation of biofuels and bioenergy, mitigating the environmental impact of fossil fuel production and use. Carbon emissions and food-source competition associated with first-generation biofuels production can be mitigated. Reports on thermochemical and biochemical pathways for generating bio-oil and syngas provide extensive coverage of production processes but lack recent insights into technological advances for upgrading these outputs into biodiesel, biomethanol, bioethanol, biogas, and biomethane. They also often omit information on commercial status, leading and prospective companies, market size, future market predictions, and associated challenges. The drawbacks of waste valorization do not appear to have been discussed widely in the literature – they include deforestation, land-use changes, soil texture changes, and biodiversity and social impacts. To address these gaps in the literature, this review examines the factors mentioned above, focusing on the drawbacks of waste-to-energy conversion and proposing solutions targeted at governments, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and researchers seeking to understand and mitigate the challenges in this sector.