Sustainable valorization of slaughterhouse solid waste
The meat processing industry generates significant quantities of waste, including solid animal by-products (ABPs) and slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW). For instance, based on global meat production in 2020 (approximately 250 million tons), slaughterhouse activities can generate up to 2250 million m³...
| Autores: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ddd.uab.cat:322625 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://ddd.uab.cat/record/322625 https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.jece.2025.118879 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Slaughterhouse waste Waste characterization Hydrolysis Anaerobic digestion Sustainable waste management Animal by-products (ABPs) |
| Sumario: | The meat processing industry generates significant quantities of waste, including solid animal by-products (ABPs) and slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW). For instance, based on global meat production in 2020 (approximately 250 million tons), slaughterhouse activities can generate up to 2250 million m³ of SWW and around 375 million tons of ABPs annually. While SWW is typically treated on-site using conventional technologies, ABPs are managed in external facilities employing traditional methods such as incineration, landfilling or rendering. These practices not only intensify environmental and health issues but also hinder the potential of valorization of ABPs into high-value products. Recent advancements in biological processes have explored the transformation of ABPs into valuable products, such as biogas through anaerobic digestion (AD), predominantly at lab-scale. However, the hydrolysis of ABPs remains a critical bottleneck due to their complex composition and high organic content, requiring extended processing times and large reactor volumes, which limit industrial-scale applications. This review evaluates current and emerging practices for the treatment and valorization of slaughterhouse waste, with a focus on transforming these residues into high-value products, promoting sustainability in the meat industry. This study identifies and characterizes ABP fractions suitable for biological processes and emphasizes the role of waste conditioning and hydrolytic strategies aimed at enhancing the efficiency of biological based processes. Key factors influencing hydrolysis performance are discussed alongside the integration of pretreated waste in industrial AD process. The review provides a critical analysis of existing methods, highlighting their gaps, and identifies opportunities to optimize biological waste conversion for sustainable and high value bioproduct generation. |
|---|