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Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste
Published on: July 18, 2025
Recent achievements in platform chemical production from food waste
Jechan Lee1, Wei-Hsin Chen2, Young-Kwon Park3
1School of Civil, Architectural Engineering, and Landscape Architecture & Department of Global Smart City, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
Abstract:
Food waste conversion/valorization to produce bio-based chemicals plays a key role toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Food waste valorization to renewable chemicals is thus an attractive and eco-friendly approach to handling food waste. The production of platform chemicals from food waste is crucial for making highly value-added renewable chemicals. However, earlier reviews dealing with food waste valorization to produce value-added chemicals have emphasized the enhancement of methane, hydrogen, and ethanol production. Along these lines, the existing methods of food waste to produce platform chemicals (e.g., volatile fatty acids, glucose, hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid, lactic acid, and succinic acid) through physical, chemical, and enzymatic pretreatments, hydrolysis, fermentation, and hydrothermal conversion are extensively reviewed. Finally, the challenges faced under these methods are discussed, along with suggestions for future research on platform chemical production from food waste.
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