Strategies for the Transformation of Waste Cooking Oils into High Value Products: A Critical Review

Waste Cooking Oils (WCOs) ARE produced in large quantities worldwide from hospitality, household and other industrial compartments. Today many Countries have no specific legislation regarding WCOs management, generating a crucial environmental problem. Presently WCOs are mainly employed by industry as feedstock for biodiesel and energy production. Nevertheless, the use of WCOs as a primary feedstock for second generation biodiesel production depends on its availability, and often import of biodiesel or WCOs from other countries is required. Additionally, the EU is pushing towards the privileged use of biowaste for alternative high value products, other than biodiesel, to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Thus, the aim of this review is to give an overall comprehensive panorama of the production, impacts, regulations and restrictions affecting WCOs, and their possible uses to produce high value materials such as bio lubricants, bio surfactants, polymers and polymer additives, road and construction additives, bio solvents among others. Interestingly many reviews have been reported in the literature addressing the use of WCOs for the preparation of a specific class of polymer, but a general comprehensive review on the argument is missing.