Resource-energy-environment nexus in converting food waste to biobutanol: Potential for resource recovery, energy security, and greenhouse gas mitigation

Resource shortages, energy scarcity, and environmental degradation pose significant challenges to sustainable development, while waste-to-bioenergy technology provides a promising solution to overcome the above challenge. To quantify the associated socioeconomic impact, food waste in Singapore was investigated as a model case to evaluate the resource potential, energy security, and environmental sustainability of the food waste derived biobutanol. Results showed that positive policy interventions reduced food waste generation, but food waste remained reliable bioresource to produce biobutanol despite fluctuations, reducing the reliance of energy system on geo-resources such as petroleum. Biobutanol generated from food waste could function as part of natural gas stock or fulfill the transport energy needs previously satisfied by natural gas, improving energy diversity and security, in addition to decarbonizing energy system by food waste valorization and fossil fuel substitution. Analogous results could be extended to other countries with food waste issues. In conclusion, the waste-to-energy scenario is a sustainable option for food waste management, which synergized energy security, circular economy and decarbonization to reconstruct a sustainable resource-energy-environment nexus with a benign technology node.