Conversion of food waste derived lipids to bio-based materials: Case of Polyurethane

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 931 million tonnes of food waste is produced year by homes, stores, and the food service sector. Lipids, phosphates, carbohydrates, and amino acids present in food waste can be transformed into bio-based resources including chemicals, materials, and energy. In order to valorize food waste, there is an obvious need for the development of novel technologies. A sustainable chemical flow is being developed due to the present global agenda focusing on food waste management and its conversion to value-added products. Polymeric substances known as polyurethane (PU) have been reported for their application as adhesives, foams, sealants, coatings etc. Typically, polyols and isocyanates produced from petroleum are used to synthesize them. However, a shift towards renewable feedstocks as constituent raw materials has been sparked by the depletion of petroleum reserves, the increase in the price of petroleum, and the drive towards eco-friendly and sustainable feedstocks. In order to replace petroleum-derived polyols with bio-based polyols made from renewable resources like food waste, a lot of research work is being put into this. This study was focused to investigate the characteristics and composition of food waste employing standard methods. This presentation will cover important developments, challenges, and perspectives in lipid extraction from food waste with a particular emphasis on work done by our team on the subject.