TY - JOUR
T1 - Agro-food waste conversion into valuable products in the Italian scenario: current practices and innovative approaches
AU - Demichelis, Francesca
AU - Lenzuni, Martina
AU - Converti, Attilio
AU - Del Borghi, Adriana
AU - Freyria, Francesca Stefania
AU - Gagliano, Erica
AU - Mancini, Manuela
AU - Toscano, Giuseppe
AU - Mazzoni, Emanuele
AU - Reguzzi, Maria Cristina
AU - Chillin, Ilaria
AU - Cominelli, Filippo
AU - Lamastra, Lucrezia
AU - Savorani, Francesco
AU - Tommasi, Tonia
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - The management of agro-food waste (AFW) is a pressing environmental, social, and economic issue. Owing to the large and heterogeneous production in Italy, which is one of the EU's leading agricultural producers and food processors, it is crucial to effectively manage the AFW in terms of reduced emissions, costs, and lower resource consumption. The management of these wastes could be carried out by considering them as a resource for high-value compounds and (bio)energy. This review offers an overview of AFW management processes according to circular economy principles, by exploring available technologies at different Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), focusing on the Italian context. The review provides descriptions of industrial-scale and pilot-scale plants, as well as emerging biological approaches for converting AFW into high-added valuable compounds and energy. This approach promotes the inclusion of AFW within a circular economy framework, increasing the sustainability of waste management by considering them as valuable resources.
AB - The management of agro-food waste (AFW) is a pressing environmental, social, and economic issue. Owing to the large and heterogeneous production in Italy, which is one of the EU's leading agricultural producers and food processors, it is crucial to effectively manage the AFW in terms of reduced emissions, costs, and lower resource consumption. The management of these wastes could be carried out by considering them as a resource for high-value compounds and (bio)energy. This review offers an overview of AFW management processes according to circular economy principles, by exploring available technologies at different Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), focusing on the Italian context. The review provides descriptions of industrial-scale and pilot-scale plants, as well as emerging biological approaches for converting AFW into high-added valuable compounds and energy. This approach promotes the inclusion of AFW within a circular economy framework, increasing the sustainability of waste management by considering them as valuable resources.
KW - Bioeconomy
KW - Environmental impacts
KW - High-added value compounds
KW - Technological maturity
KW - Waste-treatment plant
KW - Bioeconomy
KW - Environmental impacts
KW - High-added value compounds
KW - Technological maturity
KW - Waste-treatment plant
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/305119
U2 - 10.1016/j.jece.2025.115458
DO - 10.1016/j.jece.2025.115458
M3 - Article
SN - 2213-3437
VL - 13
SP - N/A-N/A
JO - Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
JF - Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
ER -
