Conversion of hazardous waste cooking oil into non-fuel value added products

Abstract

Rise in population, urbanisation, and socioeconomic growth have led to amplified food consumption, globally. Increased consumption of vegetable oil for frying and cooking various food items in households, restaurants, and cafeterias instigates the generation of millions of tons of waste cooking oil (WCO) across various jurisdictions. Inappropriate disposal of hazardous WCO blocks drainages, contaminates waterbodies, and exacerbates environmental degradation. Conversion of WCO into valuable products remains a realistic sustainable strategy for WCO management. This review delves into the recent advances in the deployment of WCO as a low-cost feedstock for the generation of non-fuel products such as biolubricant, bioplasticizer, bioasphalt, and 3D printing resin. In this regard, the work describes the generation, collection, pretreatment, and characterisation of WCO as feedstock for non-fuel products. In addition, the major challenges and future research directions of WCO conversion are highlighted before conclusion. The study recommends the commissioning of multidisciplinary research into unearthing robust WCO collection systems, novel pretreatment methodologies, and innovative conversion technologies for WCO.

KEYWORDS:

• Waste cooking oil
• hazardous
• biolubricant
• waste conversion
• bioasphalt
• circular economy

Acknowledgment

The authors appreciate the valuable encouragement received from the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

OA: Conceptualization, Methodology, Literature survey, Original draft writing, Reviewing, Editing, Project administration, Corresponding author.

DVVK: Reviewing, Editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition.

Both authors approve the version of the article submitted.