Production of biofuels and biobased compounds in urban biorefineries: A new paradigm for green chemistry

Urban bio-refining is an original concept aiming at using urban wastes (household wastes, municipal wastes, industrial liquid and/or solid residues and side-products, etc.), mainly of vegetable origin, for the production of an array of biofuels and bioproducts.
This urban bio-refining concept fits particularly with the economic, geographic and politic contexts and constraints of the Walloon Region (south part of Belgium). Indeed, Walloon Region is a very small territory (area of about 6,504 sq mi) with a temperate climate.
Supply feedstock, mainly arising from forestry and agriculture, are thus rather restricted, submitted to importation, and subjected to non-standardized quality. Several examples of our regional strategy, still available on an industrial scale, are herein proposed and detailed.