Solid waste comprised of a grass clippings mixture was decomposed using a locally-made compost bin in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, to eliminate challenges associated with improper waste disposal. Bulk density, pH, moisture content, nutrients content, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio were determined over 77 days. A 34% reduction in compost bin volume was observed and bulk density and pH were also reduced from 732 to 482 kg m(-3) and 7.82 to 8.41, respectively, indicating fairly good performance. The final moisture content and C/N ratio were 44.06% and 14 : 1, respectively, and the results also showed that the presence of nutrients and heavy metals in the final compost were within acceptable limits for use as a soil conditioner. Final concentrations of N, P and K were 347 mg kg(-1), 510 mg kg(-1) and 14.8 g kg(-1) and for heavy metals, Fe, Zn and Cu were 5308, 300 and 20 mg kg(-1), respectively, which considerably assisted in the decomposition process. Processed waste materials from the bin were shown to be excellent organic fertilizers with over 75% germination index for seeds grown into bean sprouts in 72 h. An improved bin design to eliminate greenhouse gas emission into the environment is suggested.
Steam and air gasification with 5 wt% Ni/Al2O3 eggshell (Ni-EG) and homo (Ni-H) catalysts were performed for the first time to produce biohydrogen from food waste. The steam gasification produced comparably higher gas yield than air gasification. In non-catalytic experiments, steam gasification generated a higher volume percent of H2, whereas more CO, CO2, CH4, and C2-C4 were produced in air gasification. Ni-EG demonstrated higher potential to obtain H2-rich gases with a low C2-C4 content compared to that obtained by Ni-H, particularly in steam gasification at 800 °C, which produced gaseous products with 59.48 vol% H2. The long-term activity of both catalysts in steam gasification was evaluated, and Ni-EG exhibited higher stability than Ni-H. The ideal distribution of Ni species on the outer region of γ-Al2O3 pellets in Ni-EG resulted in higher activity, stability, and selectivity than Ni-H in both steam and air gasification.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) serves as a promising alternative for waste treatment and a potential solution to improve the energy supply security. The feasibility of AD has been proven in some of the technologically and agriculturally advanced countries. However, development is still needed for worldwide implementation, especially for AD process dealing with municipal solid waste (MSW). This paper reviews various approaches and stages in the AD of MSW, which used to optimise the biogas production and quality. The assessed stages include pre-treatment, digestion process, post-treatment as well as the waste collection and transportation. The latest approaches and integrated system to improve the AD process are also presented. The stages were assessed in a relatively quantitative manner. The range of energy requirement, carbon emission footprint and the percentage of enhancement are summarised. Thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment is identified to be less suitable for MSW (-5% to +15.4% enhancement), unless conducted in the two-phase AD system. Microwave pre-treatment shows consistent performance in elevating the biogas production of MSW, but the energy consumption (114.24-8,040 kWeh t-1) and carbon emission footprint (59.93-4,217.78 kg CO2 t-1 waste) are relatively high. Chemical (∼0.43 kWeh m-3) and membrane-based (∼0.45 kWeh m-3) post-treatments are suggested to be a lower energy consumption approach for upgrading the biogas. The feasibility in terms of cost (scale up) and other environmental impacts (non-CO2 footprint) needs to be further assessed. This study provides an overview to facilitate further development and extended implementation of AD.
Lignocellulosic waste (LW) is abundant in availability and is one of the suitable substrates for anaerobic digestion (AD). However, it is a complex solid substrate matrix that hinders the hydrolysis stage of anaerobic digestion. This study assessed various pre-treatment and post-treatments of lignocellulosic waste for anaerobic digestion benefiting from advanced P-graph and GaBi software (Thinkstep, Germany) from the perspective of cost and environmental performances (global warming potential, human toxicity, ozone depletion potential, particulate matter, photochemical oxidant creation, acidification and eutrophication potential). CaO pre-treatment (P4), H2S removal with membrane separation post-treatment (HSR MS) and without the composting of digestate is identified as the cost-optimal pathway. The biological (P7- Enzyme, P8- Microbial Consortium) and physical (P1- Grinding, P2- Steam Explosion, P3- Water Vapour) pre-treatments alternatives have lower environmental impacts than chemical pre-treatments (P4- CaO, P5- NaOH, P6- H2SO4) however they are not part of the near cost optimal solutions. For post-treatment, the near cost optimal alternatives are H2S removal with organic physical scrubbing (HSR OPS) and H2S removal with amine scrubbing (HSR AS). HSR AS has a better performance in the overall environmental impacts followed by HSR MS and HSR OPS. In general, the suggested cost-optimal solution is still having relatively lower environmental impacts and feasible for implementation (cost effective). There is very complicated to find a universal AD solution. Different scenarios (the type of substrate, the scale, product demand, policies) have different constraints and consequently solutions. The trade-offs between cost and environment performances should be a future extension of this work.
Waste prevention and management become a significant issue worldwide to achieve sustainable development. Similar to many developing countries, Malaysia has faced severe problems in waste management due to its rapid economic growth and urbanisation. The municipal solid waste (MSW) production rate in Malaysia had increased significantly in a recent year, ranging from 0.8 to 1.25 kg/person∙d. The wastes generated contain a high amount of organic portion with high moisture content. Improper MSW management practice or delayed in waste collection and transportation can lead to severe health issues. This paper presents a case study in Johor Bahru, Malaysia (FOLO Farm), in which a composting prototype is used as the waste management technology to recycle the food and vegetable wastes. The greenhouse gases (GHG) mitigation and economic feasibility of the integrated composting and organic farming in this study are reported. This study showed a reduction of 27% of GHG by diverting the food and vegetable wastes from open dumping to the composting plant. Higher reduction rate (∼44%) can be achieved with better planning of waste collection route and applying the mitigation strategies during the composting process. By adapting the membership concept, this project not only ensures the economic feasibility of running a composting plant but also secures a channel for the growth of vegetable distribution. This study provides an insight into the feasibility and desirability to implement a pilot-scale composting for organic waste management to achieve the low carbon and self-sustain community.
(1) Background: Community sport settings present a range of conflicting health behaviours, including the tension between being physically active and consuming discretionary foods. Therefore, community sport settings are considered a promising location for health promotion. The aim of this project was to evaluate perceptions, knowledge and the impact (e.g., barriers and outcomes) of a healthy-canteen (cafeteria) display, based on traffic light labeling (TLL), which was set up at an Australian Basketball Association Managers' Convention and Trade Show. (2) Methods: We set up a healthy 'canteen display and surveyed Basketball managers on their perceptions of the display before (Survey 1) and after (Survey 2) visiting the display. Three months later they were surveyed (Survey 3) on changes made to their community sport canteens. (3) Results: Eighty-eight, 76 and 22 participants completed Surveys 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Participants believed stocking healthy foods and beverages was important (mean 8.5/10). Food waste, lack of consumer interest and price were identified barriers to stocking healthy foods. After visiting the display, 75% were inspired to make changes and 50% were surprised by the differences between their perceptions of the healthfulness of foods and the TLL ratings. Post-convention, 41% and 70% made or had planned healthy changes to their community sport canteen. (4) Conclusions: A healthy-canteen display is a low-cost, easy-to-implement strategy that may be able to direct self-driven improvement in the healthfulness of foods stocked at community canteens and lead to improved nutritional intakes at these venues.
The chief intent of this review is to explain the different extraction techniques and efficiencies for the recovery of protein from food waste (FW) sources. Although FW is not a new concept, increasing concerns about chronic hunger, nutritional deficiency, food security, and sustainability have intensified attention on alternative and sustainable sources of protein for food and feed. Initiatives to extract and utilize protein from FW on a commercial scale have been undertaken, mainly in the developed countries, but they remain largely underutilized and generally suited for low-quality products. The current analysis reveals the extraction of protein from FW is a many-sided (complex) issue, and that identifies for a stronger and extensive integration of diverse extraction perspectives, focusing on nutritional quality, yield, and functionality of the isolated protein as a valued recycled ingredient.
Global solid waste is expected to increase by at least 70% annually until year 2050. The mixture of solid waste including food waste from food industry and domestic diaper waste in landfills is causing environmental and human health issues. Nevertheless, food and diaper waste containing high lignocellulose can easily degrade using lignocellulolytic enzymes thereby converted into energy for the development and growth of mushroom. Therefore, this study explores the potential of recycling biomass waste from coffee ground, banana, eggshell, tea waste, sugarcane bagasse and sawdust and diaper waste as raw material for Lingzhi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) cultivation. Using 2% of diaper core with sawdust biowaste leading to the fastest 100% mushroom mycelium spreading completed in one month. The highest production yield is 71.45 g mushroom; this represents about 36% production biological efficiency compared to only 21% as in commercial substrate. The high mushroom substrate reduction of 73% reflect the valorisation of landfill waste. The metabolomics profiling showed that the Lingzhi mushroom produced is of high quality with a high content of triterpene being the bioactive compounds that are medically important for treating assorted disease and used as health supplement. In conclusion, our study proposed a potential resource management towards zero-waste and circular bioeconomy for high profitable mushroom cultivation.
Malaysia, also known as a food haven, is currently facing an excessive food waste problem which poses a threat to the environment. The objective of this research is to study the factors that affect the behavioral intention of Malaysians to reduce food waste. This study employs the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM) to better understand the behavioral intention of Malaysians toward reducing food waste. A cross-sectional study was conducted, using 352 self-administered survey questionnaires. Data collected were analyzed through PLS-SEM analysis. The results show that awareness of consequences (AC) and ascription of responsibility (AR) influence personal norms, while attitude, perceived behavioral control, and personal norms (PN) have significant effect on behavioral intention (BI) to reduce food waste. Furthermore, PN partially mediates the relationship between AC and BI as well as AR and BI. This study offers critical insights which will benefit the Malaysian Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other related parties in recognizing factors influencing the intention to reduce food waste which can be adopted to develop practical solutions to curb food waste in Malaysia.Implications: This study offers critical insights to the Malaysian Government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other related parties in recognizing factors influencing the intention to reduce food waste which can be adopted to develop practical solutions to curb food waste in Malaysia.
Food waste, a renewable resource, was converted to H2-rich gas via a catalytic steam gasification process. The effects of basic oxides (MgO, CaO, and SrO) with 10 wt% Ni/Al2O3 on the gasification properties of food waste were investigated using a U-shaped gasifier. All catalysts prepared by the precipitation method were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, H2-temperature-programmed reduction, NH3-temperature-programmed desorption, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was reduced incompletely, and low nickel concentrations were detected on the surface of the alumina. The basic oxides minimized the number of acid sites and suppressed the formation of nickel-aluminate (NiAlxOy) phase in catalyst. In addition, the basic oxides shifted nickel-aluminate reduction reaction to lower temperatures. It resulted in enhancing nickel concentration on the catalyst surface and increasing gas yield and hydrogen selectivity. The low gas yield of the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was attributed to the low nickel concentration on the surface. The maximum gas yield (66.0 wt%) and hydrogen selectivity (63.8 vol%) of the 10 wt% SrO- 10 wt% Ni/Al2O3 catalyst correlated with the highly dispersed nickel on the surface and low acidity. Furthermore, coke deposition during steam gasification varied with the surface acidity of the catalysts and less coke was formed on 10 wt% SrO- 10 wt% Ni/Al2O3 due to efficient tar cracking. This study showed that the steam gasification efficiency of the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst could be improved significantly by the addition of SrO.
Food loss or waste is a far-reaching problem and has indeed become a worrying issue that is growing at an alarming rate. Fruits and vegetables are lost or wasted at the highest rate among the composition of food waste. Furthermore, the world is progressing toward sustainable development; hence, an efficient approach to valorise fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) is necessary. A simple phenotypic characterisation of microbiota isolated from the fermented FVW was conducted, and its effectiveness toward wastewater treatment was investigated. Presumptive identification suggested that yeast is dominant in this study, accounting for 85% of total isolates. At the genus level, the enriched medium's microbial community consists of Saccharomyces, Bacillus and Candida. Ammonium in the wastewater can enhance certain bacteria to grow, such as lactic acid bacteria, resulting in decreased NH4+ concentration at the end of the treatment to 0.5 mg/L. In addition, the fermented biowaste could reduce PO43- by 90% after the duration of treatment. Overall, FVW is a valuable microbial resource, and the microbial population enables a reduction in organic matter such as NH4+ and PO43-. This study helps explore the function and improve the effectiveness of utilising biowaste by understanding the microorganisms responsible for producing eco-enzyme.
The concept of zero waste discharge has been gaining importance in recent years towards attaining a sustainable environment. Fruit processing industries generate millions of tons of byproducts like fruit peels and seeds, and their disposal poses an environmental threat. The concept of extracting value-added bioactive compounds from bio-waste is an excellent opportunity to mitigate environmental issues. To date, significant research has been carried out on the extraction of essential biomolecules, particularly polysaccharides from waste generated by fruit processing industries. In this review article, we aim to summarize the different extraction methodologies, characterization methods, and biomedical applications of polysaccharides extracted from seeds and peels of different fruit sources. The review also focuses on the general scheme of extraction of polysaccharides from fruit waste with special emphasis on various methods used in extraction. Also, the various types of polysaccharides obtained from fruit processing industrial wastes are explained in consonance with the important techniques related to the structural elucidation of polysaccharides obtained from seed and peel waste. The use of seed polysaccharides as pharmaceutical excipients and the application of peel polysaccharides possessing biological activities are also elaborated.
Eggshell is a food waste produced worldwide in substantial amount with very limited recycling activity. In this study, the potential of ethanol-treated calcined eggshell was tested as sorbent for SO2 and H2S. Three variables were selected in the preparation of sorbents via response surface methodology (RSM), i.e., concentration of ethanol in water (50%, 70%, 90%), reaction temperature (20 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C), and contact time (30, 60, 90 min). Central composite design (CCD) was used to develop a quadratic model to correlate the operating variables with the adsorption capacity. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to identify the significant factors of the experimental design. It was found that the reaction temperature during the sorbent preparation was the most significant factor. The optimum preparation conditions using RSM were found at 20 °C of reaction temperature with 76.37% of ethanol concentration for 67 min of reaction time. The maximum adsorption capacity for the optimized sorbent was found to be 27.75 mg/g and 9.55 mg/g for SO2 and H2S, respectively. The prepared sorbent was more selective towards SO2 compared with H2S. Moreover, the presence of 40% of relative humidity in the inlet gas further enhanced the adsorption capacity of both gases. The ethanol-treated calcined eggshell was further substantiated by FESEM, BET, FTIR, XRD, and XRF. Results showed potential usage of eggshell as a sorbent for SO2 and H2S gases.
The objective of this study is to explore the similarities and differences in the barriers and motivations between the plastic and resins and food and beverages industries as these two industries are the major contributors of solid waste in Malaysia. Prior studies are lacking with regard to explaining the barriers and motivations in solid waste management from the Malaysian context. This study is focused on 10 firms from the plastics and resins industry and 9 from the food and beverages industry in Malaysia. Through Rasch measurement theory, the results indicate that the barriers of lack of skills and qualifications and lack of closed-loop control and the motivations of cost savings and a business model are performed differently. The findings further confirm that the lack of skills and qualifications is a more difficult barrier to overcome than the lack of closed-loop control, while the motivation factor of a business model is more difficult to achieve than cost savings. In terms of practical contribution, this study provides results that can help policy makers in Malaysia to close the gaps present regarding the adoption of solid waste management practices and to devise appropriate incentives. The study also supports managers of companies in regard to working on the most pressing hindering and promoting factors in the field of solid waste management.
Leptospirosis is a major zoonotic disease, especially in the tropics, and rodents were known to be carriers of this bacterium. There was established information on Leptospira prevalence among animal reservoirs in human-dominated landscapes from previous literature. However, there was very little focus given comparing the prevalence of Leptospira in a wide range of habitats. An extensive sampling of small mammals from various landscapes was carried out, covering oil palm plantations, paddy fields, recreational forests, semi-urbans, and wet markets in Peninsular Malaysia. This study aims to determine the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in a diversity of small mammals across different landscapes. Cage-trapping was deployed for small mammals' trappings, and the kidneys of captured individuals were extracted, for screening of pathogenic Leptospira by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using LipL32 primer. Eight microhabitat parameters were measured at each study site. Out of 357 individuals captured, 21 (5.9%) were positive for pathogenic Leptospira of which recreational forest had the highest prevalence (8.8%) for landscape types, whereas Sundamys muelleri shows the highest prevalence (50%) among small mammals' species. Microhabitat analysis reveals that rubbish quantity (p
Numerous generations have been affected by hunger, which still affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The hunger crisis is worsening although many efforts have been made to minimize it. Besides that, food waste is one of the critical problems faced by most countries worldwide. It has disrupted the food chain system due to inefficient waste management, while negatively impacting the environment. The majority of the waste is from the food production process, resulting in a net zero production for food manufacturers while also harnessing its potential. Most food production wastes are high in nutritional and functional values, yet most of them end up as low-cost animal feed and plant fertilizers. This review identified key emerging wastes from the production line of mushroom, peanut, and soybean (MPS). These wastes (MPS) provide a new source for food conversion due to their high nutritional content, which contributes to a circular economy in the post-pandemic era and ensures food security. In order to achieve carbon neutrality and effective waste management for the production of alternative foods, biotechnological processes such as digestive, fermentative, and enzymatic conversions are essential. The article provides a narrative action on the critical potential application and challenges of MPS as future foods in the battle against hunger.
The current work aimed to study the physical, chemical and biological properties of food wastes generated from small and medium industries by using Takakura composting methods. Composting method was referred as indigenous compost (IC) and commercial compost (CC) reactors. The reactors were operated at 44 °C, pH (6 to 8.5) and 40 to 55 % of moisture for 22 weeks in closed environment using a carpet around the basket to avoid external disturbance. The results revealed that the total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP) and potassium (K) in the IC reactors were 6300, 10.57 and 726.07 ppm, respectively, while 8400, 15.45 and 727.81 ppm, respectively, in the CC reactors. Moreover, both IC and CC has Cd2+, Cr2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ concentrations within the compost legislation standard (CLS). The findings of this study indicated that the composting method could be used as an alternative food waste management in small and medium industry and the Takakura composting method is suitable for food waste composting.
Carbon dots (CDs) are a recent addition to the nanocarbon family, encompassing both crystalline and amorphous phases. They have sparked significant research interest due to their unique electrical and optical properties, remarkable biocompatibility, outstanding mechanical characteristics, customizable surface chemistry, and negligible cytotoxicity. Their current applications are mainly limited to flexible photonic and biomedical devices, but they have also garnered attention for their potential use in intelligent packaging. The conversion of food waste into CDs further contributes to the concept of the circular economy. It provides a comprehensive overview of emerging green technologies, energy-saving reactions, and cost-effective starting materials involved in the synthesis of CDs. It also highlights the unique properties of biomass-derived CDs, focusing on their structural performance, cellular toxicity, and functional characteristics. The application of CDs in the food industry, including food packaging, is summarized in a concise manner. This paper sheds light on the current challenges and prospects of utilizing CDs in the packaging industry. It aims to provide researchers with a roadmap to tailor the properties of CDs to suit specific applications in the food industry, particularly in food packaging.
Innovative solutions are needed to limit environmental effect and optimise resource use as food waste generation rises worldwide. This study investigates the potential of upcycling food waste from fresh markets using Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) as a sustainable approach. This study explored four fresh market food waste substrates for BSFL bioconversion: discarded fish waste (FI), slaughtered chicken waste (CHI), vegetable waste (VEG), and a 1:1:1 combination of all three (MIX). Soybean curd residue (SCR) was treated as the control substrate. The effects on larval growth, nutritional content, and waste bioconversion rates were examined. The larvae growth rate was strongly impacted by waste type, with BSF-fed CHI and MIX gaining 18.0 and 16.7 mg/d, respectively, followed by BSF-fed with SCR (12.2 mg/d), FI (8.9 mg/d) and VEG (7.6 mg/d). The waste type did not substantially alter BSFL length. The survival rate of the BSFL fed with the food waste studied ranges from 95 to 98.47%, with SCR being the highest. Our findings indicated that BSFL can effectively convert a variety of fresh market food waste into valuable biomass. CHI waste produced the highest larval biomass and bioconversion rate followed by MIX, SCR, FI and VEG. The different waste stream has a major influence on BSFL biomass nutrition. BSFL nutritional composition is independent of the substrate's nutritional content, indicating no direct correlation between substrate and BSFL biomass nutritional composition. SCR waste produced the highest protein content of BSFL (50.49%), followed by VEG (32.61%), MIX (32.57%), FI (31.03%) and CHI (29.06%). SCR waste also produced BSFL biomass with lowest lipid content (26.55%) compared to other waste which resulted into BSFL with lipid levels ranging from 42.92% to 53.72%. BSFL-fed with SCR is the most suitable to be used as an alternative animal's feed based on the protein and lipid levels, while defatting procedure is necessary for the other waste-fed BSFL to render it suitability as animal feed alternatives. Based on bioconversion rate, BSFL growth, and lipid content, the MIX and CHI waste might be viable substrates for future research.
In recent years, food waste has been a global concern that contributes to climate change. To deal with the rising impacts of climate change, in Hong Kong, food waste is converted into electricity in the framework of low-carbon approach. This work provides an overview of the conversion of food waste into electricity to achieve carbon neutrality. The production of methane and electricity from waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion are determined. Potential income from its sale and environmental benefits are also assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. It was found that the electricity generation from the food waste could reach 4.33 × 109 kWh annually, avoiding equivalent electricity charge worth USD 3.46 × 109 annually (based on US' 8/kWh). An equivalent CO2 mitigation of 9.9 × 108 kg annually was attained. The revenue from its electricity sale in market was USD 1.44×109 in the 1st year and USD 4.24 ×109 in the 15th year, respectively, according to the projected CH4 and electricity generation. The modelling study indicated that the electricity production is 0.8 kWh/kg of landfilled waste. The food waste could produce electricity as low as US' 8 per kW ∙ h. In spite of its promising results, there are techno-economic bottlenecks in commercial scale production and its application at comparable costs to conventional fossil fuels. Issues such as high GHG emissions and high production costs have been determined to be resolved later. Overall, this work not only leads to GHG avoidance, but also diversifies energy supply in providing power for homes in the future.