Beghetto Valentina
Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Mestre, Italy.
Crossing S.r.l., Viale della Repubblica 193/b, 31100 Treviso, Italy.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Jan 29;17(3):368. doi: 10.3390/polym17030368.
Waste cooking oils (WCOs) are generated globally from households, the hospitality industry, and other sectors. Presently, WCOs are mainly employed as feedstock for biodiesel and energy production, strongly depending on the availability of WCOs, which are often imported from other countries. The objective of this review is to give an overall comprehensive panorama of the impacts, regulations, and restrictions affecting WCOs, and their possible uses for producing high-value products, such as bio lubricants, bio surfactants, polymer additives, road and construction additives, and bio solvents. Interestingly, many reviews are reported in the literature that address the use of WCOs, but a comprehensive review of the topic is missing. Published studies, industry reports, and regulatory documents were examined to identify trends, challenges, production statistics, environmental impacts, current regulations, and uses for high-value polymer production. The data collected show that WCOs hold immense potential as renewable resources for sustainable industrial applications that are in line with global carbon neutrality goals and circular economy principles. However, achieving this shift requires addressing regulatory gaps, enhancing collection systems, and optimizing conversion technologies. This comprehensive review underlines the need for collaborative efforts among policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers to maximize the potential of WCOs and contribute to sustainable development.
废弃食用油（WCOs）在全球范围内产生于家庭、酒店业及其他行业。目前，废弃食用油主要用作生物柴油和能源生产的原料，这在很大程度上依赖于废弃食用油的可得性，而这些废弃食用油往往从其他国家进口。本综述的目的是全面综合地呈现影响废弃食用油的各种影响、法规和限制，以及它们在生产高价值产品（如生物润滑剂、生物表面活性剂、聚合物添加剂、道路和建筑添加剂以及生物溶剂）方面的可能用途。有趣的是，文献中有许多关于废弃食用油用途的综述，但缺少对该主题的全面综述。通过查阅已发表的研究、行业报告和监管文件，以确定趋势、挑战、生产统计数据、环境影响、现行法规以及高价值聚合物生产的用途。收集到的数据表明，废弃食用油作为可再生资源在可持续工业应用方面具有巨大潜力，符合全球碳中和目标和循环经济原则。然而，要实现这一转变需要解决监管差距、加强收集系统并优化转化技术。这一全面综述强调了政策制定者、行业利益相关者和研究人员之间需要共同努力，以最大限度地发挥废弃食用油的潜力并为可持续发展做出贡献。
