Global warming solution? Scientists turn food waste into valuable industrial chemicals using electricity

Food waste is a massive global problem, generating about 8–10 per cent of planet-warming gases and costing trillions of dollars each year, according to a 2024 United Nations Environment Programme report. Now, a new study suggests that electricity could transform rotting leftovers into useful industrial chemicals, offering a sustainable solution to both waste and climate change.

The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering and reported by Anthropocene, found that applying a mild electrical current to food waste boosts the activity of microbes that break it down, producing higher amounts of chemicals such as acetone, ethanol, and butanol. This method, called electrofermentation, could reduce landfill waste while creating valuable byproducts from discarded food.

Researchers tested ice cream waste

Researchers at Ohio State University tested two species of Clostridium bacteria on sour cream and ice cream waste. These dairy-based wastes contain carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids that serve as rich carbon sources for microbial metabolism; significant levels of moisture; and crude fat, which are essential for microbial growth and fermentation processes.


While traditional high-heat fermentation produced some useful chemicals, the electrofermentation system, where electricity is delivered into the mix, generated significantly more. The combination of the two bacteria produced up to 12 times more butanol at a lower applied voltage compared to higher voltages, showing that tuning electricity levels can change results.

How the chemicals needed in real life

The study found that the electrofermentation process produces valuable industrial chemicals such as acetone, which is massively used in plastics, coatings, and solvents; ethanol, used as fuel, disinfectant, and in beverages; and butanol, used as a biofuel, solvent, and in manufacturing plastics.

These chemicals have significant commercial value, and producing them from food waste could both reduce landfill impact and create economic benefits.

Global food waste

Global food waste amounts to about 2.5 billion tons annually. In the United States alone, 60 million tons are discarded, nearly 40 per cent of its food supply. Wasted food contributes 11 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and creates significant environmental challenges, from land use to pollution, according to the study. The Natural Resources Defense Council reported in 2017 that the average US family of four loses about $1,500 a year on food that goes uneaten. Redirecting waste into valuable chemicals could ease pressure on food prices, lower grocery bills, and reduce methane emissions, a major contributor to climate change.

Beyond industrial benefits, reducing food waste at home through meal planning or better food storage can also help address the issue.