Integrated production of ethanol and 1,3-propanediol from food waste enzymatic hydrolysates in a biorefinery approach

The sustainable management of Urban Solid Waste (USW) is one of the most relevant global environmental challenges. Food waste (FW) constitutes a significant fraction of USW. One way to valorize FW is by producing biofuels and high-value-added chemicals. Therefore, this study aimed to produce 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from vinasse obtained after ethanolic fermentation of FW. Following the chemical characterization, the optimum composition of hydrolysate was generated from experimental design 23 + 3(0). Assay 7, with 69.12 g/L of glucose and 2.60 g/L of glycerol, was selected from the statistical analyses. Fermentation assays by Meyerozyma caribbica produced 26.88 g/L of ethanol and 6.36 g/L of glycerol. After ethanolic distillation, Lentilactobacillus diolivorans produced 1,3-propanediol with 74.28 % efficiency. This shows that the integrated production of ethanol and 1,3-PDO is a promising alternative for the biorefinery of FW.