ETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM ORGANIC WASTE USING SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE: A SUSTAINABLE BIOFUEL

The growing depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the associated environmental concerns have intensified the search for sustainable and renewable energy alternatives. Bioethanol is a promising renewable biofuel that can be produced through microbial fermentation of organic waste. The present study investigated the feasibility of ethanol production from household organic waste using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fruit peels, vegetable peels, sugarcane bagasse and leftover rice were collected, processed into slurries and subjected to acid and enzymatic pretreatment to enhance the availability of fermentable sugars. The pretreated substrates were inoculated with S. cerevisiae and incubated under submerged fermentation conditions for 21–30 days. Ethanol was recovered using fractional distillation with a rotary evaporator at 78–79 °C. Qualitative confirmation of ethanol was carried out using the dichromate and Lucas tests, while quantitative estimation was performed using UV–visible spectrophotometry. The highest ethanol concentration was obtained from leftover rice (H”70%), followed by fruit peels (H”69.7%), bagasse (H”65%) and vegetable peels (H”24%). The findings demonstrate that household organic waste can serve as an economical and environmentally sustainable feedstock for bioethanol production, contributing to waste valorization and renewable energy generation.