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

Verfasst von

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.

Details

Organisationseinheit(en): Institut für Lebensmittelwissenschaft und Humanernährung
Institute of Food and One Health
Molekulare Lebensmittelchemie und -entwicklung
Externe Organisation(en): Pondicherry University
Aksaray University
Can Tho University
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi (İTÜ)
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)
Typ: Artikel
Journal: Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Band: 23
Publikationsdatum: 10.2025
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Lebensmittelwissenschaften, Agronomie und Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften, Agrar- und Biowissenschaften (sonstige)
Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung: SDG 8 - Anständige Arbeitsbedingungen und wirtschaftliches Wachstum, SDG 12 - Verantwortungsvoller Konsum und Produktion, SDG 13 - Klimaschutzmaßnahmen
Elektronische Version(en): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102165 (Zugang: Offen )