Lipids from food waste as feedstock for biodiesel production: Case Hong Kong

Research on different alternative liquid fuels is rapidly growing because of the environmental concerns and depletion of fossil fuels. As the world confronts a reported food shortage and rising fuel prices, researchers are engaged in developing biofuels that would not convert food crops into energy. In addition, it is apparent that the demand for biodiesel is expected to rise over the coming years. To date, many edible oils are used for biodiesel production. Thus, increasing demand of biodiesel will have a direct impact on food shortage. This underlines the need to use waste materials for biodiesel preparation. In this regard, lipid fraction which can be obtained after hydrolysis of food waste with an enzyme system accumulated in the solid state fungal culture is considered inedible and can be used as a potential source to produce biodiesel.