Wheat, barley and oat waste: a comparative and critical presentation of methods and potential uses of treated waste

Abstract

Wheat waste stands for one of the most important cereals both in view of its nutritive value and its high waste volume, although the latter is not considered among the most polluting source of wastes. However, it is of great importance to optimise the conversion of wheat, barley and oat waste into useful materials such as biomass, biogas/biofuel, animal feed and composting. Advantages and disadvantages and effectiveness per method (incineration, combustion, composting) are summarised by means of six comprehensive tables and six figures. It appears that the method with the greatest potential is the one aiming at conversion of wheat waste into biomass or biogas in view of the energy problems and the extended pollution of the environment due to release of carbon dioxide.