Unlocking sustainable solutions: Harnessing residual biomass from Colombia's non-centrifugal sugar chain for green market deployment

Abstract

Green markets offer an alternative to bolster the economic and social dimensions of rural areas by valorizing surplus agroindustrial waste. This study aims to assess the environmental impacts of Panela, an agroindustrial crop with high relevance for the economies of Latin American and Asian countries. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology revealed that producing 1 t of Non-centrifugal sugar results in a global warming potential of 0.262 t of CO2-eq. Additionally, the acidification potential, freshwater eutrophication, particulate matter, and photochemical oxidant formation were found to be 0.135 kg SO2-eq., 0.0081 kg P-eq. 0.020 kg PM2.5-eq., and 0.043 kg NOx-eq., respectively. A nutrient balance and bagasse combustion analysis were conducted, indicating that environmental impacts were reduced by 45 %. As a result of these impact abatements, the surplus residual biomass could potentially cover 1 % of the national urea demand in a decentralized scheme, thereby reducing dependency on imports from other countries. © 2024 The Authors