Economically viable alternatives for utilizing municipal solid waste are still a major challenge for society, especially in less developed countries. A potential pathway is using the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) to produce energy, biofuels, organic fertilizers, and value-added chemical compounds. We evaluated an integrated biorefinery structure for the treatment of used cooking oil, pruning biomass, and organic and food residues to produce biodiesel, biogas, organic compost, 1,3-propanediol, and electrical energy at the campus of the Federal University of Pernambuco, which was considered a case study to represent a small city of Northeastern Brazil. A pilot transesterification plant, a biodigestion unit, and a compost unit were installed to process 3.3 tons daily of OFMSW produced. Additionally, research was carried out to produce 1,3-propanediol on a laboratory scale from residual glycerol. The quality of the biodiesel generated from the used cooking oil met national technical standards and the conversion of residual oil into biodiesel reached 93%. The average biogas production was 0.584 ± 0.176 Nm³ kgVS⁻¹, with an average methane production of 50% generating up to 44 MWh of electricity per year. The organic compost produced met the quality requirements of organic fertilizers, such as maturation and nutrient contents. Glycerol treatment increased the yield of 1,3-propanediol production. Our findings demonstrate that the integrated biorefinery will lead to a reduction of US$ 80,000 in the costs of OFMSW management. More importantly, this approach generates incentives for circular economy initiatives in small municipalities in Brazil and other less developed countries.

Graphical abstract

中文翻译：

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平衡市政有机废物以生产生物柴油，沼气，有机肥料和增值化学品：综合的生物精炼方法

利用城市固体废物在经济上可行的替代方案仍然是社会面临的主要挑战，特别是在欠发达国家。一个潜在的途径是利用城市固体废物（OFMSW）的有机成分生产能源，生物燃料，有机肥料和增值化合物。我们在伯南布哥州联邦大学校园内评估了一个综合的生物精炼厂结构，用于处理用过的食用油，修剪的生物质以及有机和食物残渣，以生产生物柴油，沼气，有机堆肥，1,3-丙二醇和电能，该案例被视为代表巴西东北部一个小城市的案例研究。安装了一个试验性的酯交换反应装置，一个生物消化装置和一个堆肥装置，以处理日产3.3吨的OFMSW。另外，进行了研究，以实验室规模从残留甘油生产1,3-丙二醇。用过的食用油产生的生物柴油的质量符合国家技术标准，残油转化为生物柴油的比例达到93％。平均沼气产量为0.584±0.176 Nm³ kgVS ^-1，平均甲烷产量为50％，每年发电高达44 MWh。生产的有机堆肥满足有机肥料的质量要求，例如成熟度和营养成分。甘油处理提高了1,3-丙二醇的产量。我们的研究结果表明，整合的生物精炼厂将使OFMSW管理成本降低80,000美元。更重要的是，这种方法激励了巴西和其他欠发达国家的小城市中的循环经济计划。

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