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Biofuel demand is projected to grow by 38 billion liters between 2023 and 2028—a nearly 30% increase from the last five-year period. But what’s driving this growth?
Biofuel production meets growing energy demands, reduces the environmental impact of fossil fuel production, and helps mitigate food waste—advancing the global shift toward renewable, sustainable fuel alternatives.
And the feedstocks we use play a critical role in the overall impact of biofuel production. In fact, the organic waste we typically send to landfills—along with other feedstocks—could help shape the future of biofuel.
Keep reading to learn about the different types of feedstocks for biofuel production, the importance of waste-based feedstock, and how Shapiro contributes to this movement.
Key Takeaways
- Biofuel types can be categorized into solid, liquid, and gaseous forms, with the most common including biodiesel, ethanol, and biogas.
- The type of feedstock used for biofuel is an important decision, as each material has unique characteristics such as energy content, yield, growth rate, cost and availability, and environmental impact.
- Food waste, expired products, and fats, oils, and grease are all valuable feedstocks for biofuel—an approach shown to support energy security, pollution control, and sustainable production.
- Waste-based feedstocks reduce landfill costs, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, avoid competition with food systems, support a circular economy, and drive economic opportunities.
What Is Biofuel and Why Feedstock Matters
Biofuel refers to a renewable fuel that can be produced from plant or animal materials and is used as a substitute or partial substitute for fossil fuels.
Biofuel feedstock, on the other hand, refers to the raw materials used to produce biofuels—often biomass, which is renewable organic material derived from plants or animals that can be converted into energy or fuel.
So why does this matter? Aren’t all feedstocks the same?
No, not exactly. In fact, the type of feedstock used can greatly influence how the biofuel performs, as we’ll see below.
Types of Biofuels
Biofuel types can be categorized into solid, liquid, and gaseous forms, with the most common including:
- Biodiesel: Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel manufactured domestically from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel is most commonly used to fuel compression-ignition engines, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health.
- Ethanol: Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from various plant materials collectively known as biomass. Fun fact: more than 98% of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol to oxygenate the fuel.
- Biogas: Biogas is produced after organic materials—such as plant and animal products—are broken down by bacteria in an oxygen-free environment, a process called anaerobic digestion. By converting waste into valuable energy and fertilizers, biogas generation reduces reliance on fossil fuels and helps minimize environmental impact.
Why Feedstock Matters for Biofuel
Choosing the right feedstock is a critical step in biofuel processing, as it affects the efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of the process. So, what are the common sources of biofuel feedstock?
Corn, soybeans, algae, agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, and food waste are all common feedstock materials—though many other sources are also used, depending on regional resources and production goals.
The type of feedstock used is an important decision, as each material has unique characteristics such as:
- Energy content
- Yield
- Growth rate
- Cost and availability
- Environmental impact
These differences play a key role in determining which feedstocks are most suitable for large-scale biofuel production.
For instance, feedstock for diesel typically consists of fats, oils, and greases, while ethanol feedstock commonly comes from starch- and sugar-based sources like corn, as well as cellulosic materials such as crop residues, wood waste, dedicated energy crops, and various industrial byproducts.
While all feedstocks are valuable, our team at Shapiro strongly supports using organic waste to produce renewable natural gas, as it’s produced sustainably through the breakdown of organic materials like farm waste, food waste, and wastewater treatment byproducts.
By turning organic waste into sustainable fuel, companies can power manufacturing operations, provide heating and electricity for buildings, and improve crop residue management—all while reducing environmental impact.
However, as mentioned, every type of feedstock for biofuel is important—whether it’s purpose-grown energy crops or waste-derived materials. Keep reading to compare the raw materials used for production.
Types of Feedstock for Biofuel Production
From agricultural waste to industrial byproducts, the raw materials used for biofuel production each offer unique benefits and challenges.
Agricultural Waste and Residues
Agricultural waste is an important biomass feedstock, as it helps address food waste on farms and supports more sustainable farming practices.
Agricultural waste not only includes residues from cultivation but also waste generated from the processing of agro products, managing livestock, and distribution of fruits and vegetables.
One study even claims that “The conversion of agricultural wastes into biofuels offers ecological, sanitary, economic, industrial, and technical benefits while the use of the generated biofuels as transport engine reduces the emission of GHGs, ensure better engine performance, promote smoother engine running, and prolongs engine lifespan.”
Food and Organic Waste
Food waste, expired products, and fats, oils, and grease—especially from commercial sources that produce them in large quantities—can all be used as feedstock for biofuel.
A review on biofuels production from organic waste materials states that, “The utilization of organic wastes for biofuels production is considered as a plausible approach for achieving better energy security, pollution control, process economics, sustainable production, and societal improvements.”
Companies like Shapiro specialize in turning food waste into valuable resources, leveraging strategies like anaerobic digestion to reduce landfill dependency and promote a more circular economy.
Energy Crops and Dedicated Biomass
Dedicated energy crops—which are harvested specifically with the intention of converting their biomass into bioenergy—offer a promising source of feedstock for biofuel production.
However, there are various concerns regarding renewable diesel feedstock. As stated in a 2022 article, “The increase in demand for biofuel crops has extended farming onto marginal lands, damaged biodiversity and increased water use and contamination, as well as pushed up the price of agricultural commodities and thereby exacerbated food insecurity.”
As a result, energy crops must be managed carefully to ensure their role in biofuel production remains both sustainable and responsible.
Industrial Byproducts
Industrial byproducts include everything from brewery waste and pulp sludge to dairy waste and other organic residuals used in biofuel processing—with each type offering unique characteristics that influence energy output, conversion efficiency, and environmental impact.
For instance, one study evaluated industrial sludge as a biodiesel feedstock, stating that, “Biodiesel derived from industrial sludge exhibits properties comparable to those of conventional biodiesel, demonstrating its suitability for blending and energy applications. However, challenges such as cost-effectiveness, scalability, and regulatory compliance must be addressed to ensure feasibility on a commercial scale.”
By transforming industrial byproducts into renewable fuel, companies can support a circular economy and achieve their sustainability goals.
How Waste Becomes Fuel: The Biofuel Processing Journey
Interested in learning how to make biofuel?
Biofuel production can be broken down into 3 main methods:
- Fermentation for ethanol: The bioethanol production process starts with feedstock preparation, where different materials—such as sugar crops, grains, and cellulosic biomass—are processed for fermentation. During fermentation, microorganisms metabolize the sugars in the feedstock to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as by-products. The resulting mixture then undergoes distillation to produce high-concentration ethanol. You can read more about this process by reading this blog about turning sugars into biofuels.
- Transesterification for biodiesel: Transesterification is a chemical process that converts vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste cooking oils into biodiesel, with glycerin produced as a coproduct. As explained by the U.S. Department of Energy, “Approximately 100 pounds of oil or fat are reacted with 10 pounds of a short-chain alcohol (usually methanol) in the presence of a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide [NaOH] or potassium hydroxide [KOH]) to form 100 pounds of biodiesel and 10 pounds of glycerin (or glycerol).”
- Anaerobic digestion for biogas: Anaerobic digestion is a series of biological processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Our recent article on anaerobic digester systems explains how specialized bacteria in sealed tanks convert organic waste into methane gas and fertilizer. The anaerobic digestion process has 4 steps: hydrolysis for breaking down complex organic matter, acidogenesis for converting it into volatile acids, acetogenesis for producing acetic acid, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, and methanogenesis for generating biogas from food waste.
Why Waste-Based Feedstock Is the Future of Biofuel
One thing is crystal clear—using waste-based feedstock to produce green energy biofuels is a great strategy for reducing food waste.
However, it’s not as simple as saying waste reduction is the only benefit, as there are many long-term advantages that must be considered, including its role in:
- Reducing landfill costs: In an era of rising landfill disposal fees, minimizing the amount of food waste sent to landfills offers a significant cost advantage for businesses.
- Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions: Food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Using waste as a feedstock helps divert it from landfills and reduces associated emissions.
- Avoiding competition with food systems: Some feedstocks—such as corn and soy—can be used for human consumption. Using food waste for biochar feedstock, on the other hand, helps reduce waste without diverting resources from the food supply.
- Supporting a circular economy: With waste-based feedstocks, materials that would otherwise be discarded can be reused, thereby improving resource efficiency and helping companies achieve sustainability goals.
- Driving economic opportunities: Turning food waste to energy can open new revenue streams through carbon credits and support local economies by creating jobs in renewable energy and waste management.
How Shapiro Helps You Convert Waste into Renewable Fuel
At Shapiro, we’re strong supporters of using organic waste as feedstock for biofuel. While we don’t produce biofuel ourselves, we supply biofuel processors with qualified organic waste.
Our partnerships with anaerobic digestion facilities—such as the Kingsbury Bioenergy Complex and the Linden Renewable Energy Project—demonstrate our commitment to sustainable waste diversion.
To uphold high feedstock standards, our team is committed to sustainable sourcing practices and providing a diverse range of organic materials. With food waste recycling a top priority, we continuously look for ways to support responsible waste management and resource recovery efforts.
Conclusion
It’s time to stop viewing waste as a burden and start treating it as a resource. While the priority should always be reducing food waste at the source, using it as feedstock for biofuel is a strong second line of defense.
Ask yourself: what strategy do you currently have in place to address your company’s food waste? How can biofuel production help you achieve long-term sustainability goals?
Our team at Shapiro would love to discuss the potential of turning waste into renewable fuel—or even explore other strategies, such as composting—to help you better understand your waste management options.
Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Baily Ramsey, an accomplished marketing specialist, brings a unique blend of anthropological insight and marketing finesse to the digital landscape. Specializing in educational content creation, she creates content for various industries, with a particular interest in environmental initiatives.
