Vegetable Oil Wastes

Vegetable oil wastes that are made of plant residues and oils and discarded after use pose a significant disposal problem in many parts of the world. Several plants provide oil from nutritional needs (olive, palm, soybean, rapeseed, sunflower seed, and peanut), but, in particular, olive oil extraction produces a large quantity of wastes as residues. Such wastes are characterized by high salinity, low pH values, high contents in phenol derivates and organic matter, and nutrients. Hence correct treatments are required to limit their impact on the environment. The use of microbial communities for the degradation (aerobic or anaerobic) of organic matter is one of the most frequently used methods. However, due to the high content of useful substances, vegetable oil wastes have to be considered as a resource for agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, and oleochemistry industries.