Harvard study finds household waste can be turned into SAF
In India, BioEnergy Times reported that everyday trash — including food waste, discarded metals, rubber, and other municipal solid waste — can be converted into sustainable aviation fuel, according to a new study published in Nature Sustainability.
The research was conducted by scientists from the Harvard-China Project on Energy, Economy, and Environment and Tsinghua University in Beijing.
The study found that municipal waste can be transformed into a liquid feedstock capable of significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional jet fuel. Researchers also concluded that waste-based fuels could be more dependable and cost-effective than many other sustainable fuel options, the report added.
The team began the study with a clear objective: to find ways to cut carbon emissions in aviation, a sector responsible for about 2.5% of global emissions. Jingran Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow with the Harvard-China Project and the study’s lead author, said the aviation industry has limited possibilities for electrification, making sustainable jet fuels an essential alternative.
“We’re trying to find a feedstock that is low-cost, consistently available, and produces fewer emissions,” Zhang said.
Municipal waste was chosen partly due to growing concerns among policymakers about managing expanding trash volumes, especially waste that does not break down easily. “We are trying to align the goal of zero-waste cities with carbon-neutral aviation,” Zhang explained. “This approach has the potential to meet both goals at once.”
Category: SAF
