Pyrolytic Conversion of Heterogenic Natural Waste Biomass from Rural Communities with Concomitant Valorization

The challenge of waste disposal and management has become more prominent with increasing awareness. In rural areas, natural waste management is carried out within available space constraints. The conventional methods used for solid waste disposal include burning, landfilling, and composting, often regarded as the most effective and widely used practices. There is a significant concern over the adverse environmental consequences of implementing non-sustainable practices in solid waste management. This chapter aims to comprehensively analyse the many sources of solid waste, focusing on lignocellulosic biomasses originating from rural areas, mainly within the Indian sub-continent. Pyrolytic conversion is a thermal process that transforms waste materials into three distinct forms: solid residue known as char, liquid fuel, and gaseous emissions. Recent research has concentrated on using food waste as an energy source (e.g. for the manufacture of bioethanol and biodiesel) rather than disposing of and decomposing it. Utilizing a biorefinery or biotechnology, organic waste can also be used to produce valuable organic chemicals, such as succinic acid and/or bioplastics. The chapter further provides a detailed explanation of mapping secondary data from different departments and contrasts it with previously conducted research studies. This chapter is intended to summarise the facts on the efficient use of biochar for pollution control and environmental management.