Agricultural and Biological Research

Utilization of agricultural production waste for potential bioethanol generation

Kit Wayne Chew*, Dina Maged Salah Mohammed Tawfik and Wen Yi Chia

Throughout the process from growth of fruit and vegetable to the hands of final consumer, a lot of food waste is produced. All these wastes contain valuable biomass that can be utilized to produce valuable bio products including bioethanol. They contain plenty of fresh produce that makes it adequate for fermentation, hence producing ethanol and preventing the waste from building up in landfills, which would otherwise cause impact to the environment and human health. Besides, it can also further help with reducing the rate of global warming since bioethanol as an alternative fuel produces much less greenhouse gas emissions than the current conventional fuel. The ethanol that can be produced is also an excellent additive for biofuel considering its transportability, bendability with gasoline and the higher oxygen content, making it a suitable additive for fuel. The utilization of these much unwanted wastes for a greener production of clean fuels serves as a potential transformation of waste and effective management.