Food Waste Conversion for Energy Production and Sustainability Applications: A Review

Abstract

Food waste (FW) represents a growing global challenge with significant environmental and economic implications while simultaneously offering substantial potential as a renewable resource for energy generation and value-added products. This review comprehensively evaluates FW conversion technologies and their applications in sustainable resource recovery. It first summarizes the global scale of FW generation and its associated environmental and economic impacts, followed by the biochemical and physicochemical characterization of FW from household, food service, and retail sectors, including its potential use as animal feed. Biochemical conversion technologies (anaerobic digestion and fermentation) and thermochemical conversion technologies (combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, and liquefaction) are critically reviewed, together with integrated biorefinery approaches. Furthermore, the review comparatively evaluates feedstock suitability, technological performance, techno-economic feasibility, environmental sustainability, and relevant policy and legislative frameworks to highlight the advantages, limitations, and implementation challenges of different conversion technologies. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive assessment of current FW conversion technologies and highlights their technological, economic, environmental, and policy considerations to support sustainable FW valorization and renewable energy production.