Sustainable utilization of corn waste and their role toward the circular economy

authored by: Sammra Maqsood, Muhammed Navaf, Prashant Kumar, Aysun Yücetepe, Nguyen Ngoc Trang Thuy, Gulay Ozkan, Andres Moreno, Esra Capanoglu, Waseem Khalid, Tuba Esatbeyoglu
Abstract: Corn is one of the most widely cultivated cereal crops globally. Its processing generates enormous amounts of agricultural residues, such as corn husk, corn cob, and corn silk. These by-products exhibit immense potential for value addition in the circular economy. However, these are often discarded or underutilized. This review deals with sustainable and innovative approaches for the effective utilization of different corn waste materials, emphasizing their constituents and applications. The advancement in technology, enables the transformation and value addition of corn waste residues into sustainable eco-friendly biomaterials, such as bioplastics, bioethanol, activated carbons, fiber, and bioactive compounds, contributing to the goal of the circular economy. The challenges, policy framework, and future perspectives of the sustainable utilization of corn waste materials are also discussed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of corn waste valorization strategies and their transformative role in promoting a circular bioeconomy.
Organisation(s): Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Institute of Food and One Health
Molecular Food Chemistry and Food Development
External Organisation(s): Pondicherry University
Aksaray University
Can Tho University
Istanbul Technical University
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Type: Article
Journal: Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Volume: 23
Publication date: 10.2025
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Food Science, Agronomy and Crop Science, Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 - Climate Action
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102165 (Access: Open)