Eco-Friendly Wastewater Biofuels

Many industries are attempting to make more efficient use of precious resources such as water, and olive oil production is no exception. Institut de Science des Materiaux de Mulhouse researchers in France discovered new uses for the billions of gallons of wastewater produced in olive oil production.

Wastewater from olive mills can be embedded into cypress sawdust (a different source of regional waste) to create biofuel and fertilizer. When the mixture is quickly dried and heated, it can be recycled in a few different ways. This includes biofertilizer pellets, a heat source that consists of a condensed gas bio-oil and a water product farmers can safely use for irrigation. This solution not only helps local communities in Mediterranean countries, it addresses pollution too.