A technical review of bioenergy and resource recovery from municipal solid waste

Abstract

Population growth, rapid urbanization, industrialization and economic development have led to the magnified municipal solid waste generation at an alarming rate on a global scale. Municipal solid waste seems to be an economically viable and attractive resource to produce green fuels through different waste-to-energy conversion routes. This paper reviews the different waste-to-energy technologies as well as thermochemical and biological conversion technologies for the valorization of municipal solid waste and diversion for recycling. The key waste-to-energy technologies discussed in this review include conventional thermal incineration and the modern hydrothermal incineration. The thermochemical treatments (e.g. pyrolysis, liquefaction and gasification) and biological treatments (e.g. anaerobic digestion and composting) are also elaborated for the transformation of solid wastes to biofuel products. The current status of municipal solid waste management for effective disposal and diversion along with the opportunities and challenges has been comprehensively reviewed. The merits and technical challenges of the waste-to-energy technologies are systematically discussed to promote the diversion of solid wastes from landfill disposal to biorefineries.

Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Gasification; Incineration; Liquefaction; Municipal solid waste; Pyrolysis.