Transforming Food Waste into Nutrient-Rich Fertilizer: A Sustainable Path Towards Carbon Neutrality and Circular Economy

The rising trend of world population growth has contributed to the increase of municipal solid wastes, especially food waste because of several factors which are increased consumption, changes in eating habits, supply chain challenges, urbanization growth, and changes in consumer behavior. Food wastes contain various beneficial elements that are required for plants such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), inorganic salts, and other micronutrients. With suitable biological treatment such as anaerobic digestion, composting, landfill treatment, and incineration, the food wastes can be valorized into fertilizer, soil amendment, and animal feed. The main objective of this chapter is to highlight the current valorization method of food waste in Malaysia into nutrient-rich fertilizer via the biological approaches to achieve carbon neutrality and circular economy. By using some case studies as an example, in-depth advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of each biological approach are discussed.