Recycling of food waste for fuel precursors using an integrated bio-refinery approach.

The main aim was to integrate FW-recycling with cultivation of Rhodotorula glutinis and anaerobic digestion (AD) for bio-energy and -fuel recovery. Mixed FW was mechanically macerated (Pcon) and hydrolysed (at 250gL-1 water) via chemical (Ch), thermal (Th) and TCh (combined Ch and Th) treatments. Cleared hydrolysates from individual pre-treatment processes were used as culture medium for cultivation of R. glutinis, while the residual solids (RS) were subjected to AD. Pcon cultivation yielded maximal R. glutinis dry weight biomass (5.18gL-1 ) and total fatty acid contents (1.03gg-1 DWbiomass ). Dominant fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were Palmitic - (C16:0 -26%); Stearic - (C18:0 -17%) and Oleic acids (C18:1 -38%), ideal for bio-diesel production. Highest methane yields (actual ∼0.139m3 kg-1 volatile solids) were measured from AD of Th-derived RS. Thus integrated FW recycling approaches will be more feasible for generating energy and economic incentives.