Tea, as one of the world's most consumed beverages, generates substantial volumes of waste, primarily spent tea leaves and processing by-products. This represents a significant environmental challenge, with millions of tonnes disposed of annually, contributing to landfill burden and greenhouse gas emissions. However, tea waste is a rich source of valuable compounds, including lignocellulose, polyphenols, and caffeine, making it a highly promising feedstock for valorization within a circular bioeconomy framework. This comprehensive review synthesizes the most recent advancements (primarily from 2020 onwards) in converting tea waste into value-added products. It systematically explores diverse valorization pathways, including energy production (biofuels, syngas), environmental remediation (adsorbents for heavy metals, dyes, emerging contaminants), material science (biocomposites, construction materials, nanomaterials), and the extraction of high-value bioactive compounds. Beyond merely compiling findings, this review critically discusses the performance, mechanisms, and competitive advantages of tea waste-derived products compared to conventional alternatives. Crucially, it identifies and elaborates upon the fundamental challenges to industrial implementation and scalability, such as feedstock variability, economic viability, and the need for comprehensive life cycle assessments. The review also highlights essential future research directions, including the development of integrated biorefinery concepts, the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning for process optimization, and the exploration of novel applications, drawing lessons from successful methodologies applied to other lignocellulosic biomasses. This work underscores the immense potential of tea waste as a sustainable resource, aiming to accelerate the transition towards a more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible future.
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