Incorporating biowaste into circular bioeconomy: A critical review of current trend and scaling up feasibility

Valorisation of biowaste is a topic of closer scrutiny for its role in transition of fossil-based economy to bioeconomy. Increasing waste generation and climate change are among the issues that can be alleviated via biowaste valorisation. Various conversion methods have been consolidated as the most effective methods to valorise biowaste into value-added products such as biofuel, biochar and other biomaterials. Recognising the need to identify areas with higher demand for scientific effort, this review aims to provide a critical overview on current trend pertaining biowaste valorisation. The rheological limitations that hinder the upscaling feasibility of biowaste valorisation are provided and discussed. Survey of academic literature to showcase the recent efforts to alleviate technical constraints is also included. With critical approach, this review is expected to highlight the setbacks and avenues in biowaste valorisation field that are useful for future research. Specifically, process optimisation and development of new products with competitive edge from biowaste are the key avenues to close the loop of circular bioeconomy. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.