Bioenergy II: Bio-Ethanol from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): The UK Potential and Implication for Sustainable Energy and Waste Management

This paper investigates the feasibility of using municipal solid waste (MSW) as biomass substrates for bioethanol production. MSW are categorised into three types: paper and card, kitchen organics, and green organics. MSW data are collected from UK Department of Environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA). Characterisations of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents have shown that MSW has high potential as biomass source. Experimental work on waste characterisation and MSW-to-ethanol conversion has been carried out in laboratory. The experimental results have shown that more than 85% of the cellulose from the waste can be converted to glucose which can be easily fermented to ethanol production. This MSW-to-ethanol process provides an alternative solution for both biomass resources for cost reduction and preventing organic fraction of municipal solid waste going into landfill.Projected estimates of waste to ethanol bases on London (UK) as a case study are made. Recommendation on both sustainable waste management and biofuel production are developed based on the result findings.