Sustainable Cellulose Production from Agro-Industrial Waste: A Comprehensive Review
Darmenbayeva A. Rajasekharan R. Idrisheva Z. Aubakirova R. Dautova Z. Abylkassova G. Zhamanbayeva M. Afanasenkova I. Massalimova B.
January 2026Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Polymers
2026#18Issue 2
The growing demand for sustainable and renewable materials has intensified interest in agro-industrial waste as an alternative source of cellulose. This review critically examines current approaches to cellulose production from major agro-industrial residues, including cereal straw, corn residues, rice waste, sugarcane bagasse, and oilseed by-products. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between feedstock composition and extraction efficiency, highlighting how lignin distribution, hemicellulose content, and mineral impurities influence pretreatment severity, cellulose yield, and process sustainability. The review systematically analyzes chemical, enzymatic, and mechanical processing routes, with particular attention being paid to pretreatment strategies, fibrillation intensity, and yield variability. Beyond cellulose recovery, key sustainability indicators—such as energy demand, water and chemical consumption, waste generation, and chemical recovery—are evaluated to provide a system-level perspective on process efficiency. The analysis demonstrates that cellulose yield alone is an insufficient criterion for sustainable process design and must be considered alongside environmental and techno-economic metrics. Advanced applications of agro-waste-derived cellulose are discussed using a feedstock-driven approach, showing that high functional performance can often be achieved with moderately processed cellulose tailored to specific end uses. Finally, the review addresses challenges related to feedstock heterogeneity, mineral management, standardization, and industrial scale-up, underscoring the importance of biorefinery integration, closed-loop resource management, and harmonized quality descriptors. These insights provide a foundation for the development of scalable and sustainable cellulose production pathways based on agro-industrial waste.
agro-industrial waste , biorefinery integration , cellulose extraction , lignocellulosic biomass , sustainable processing
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Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, M. Kh. Dulaty Taraz University, Taraz, 080000, Kazakhstan
Department of Science and Humanities, Providence College of Engineering, Kerala, Ala, 689122, India
School of Geosciences, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Ust-Kamenogorsk, 070003, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemistry, S. Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University, Ust-Kamenogorsk, 070010, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, M. Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University, Petropavlovsk, 150000, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
Department of Science and Humanities
School of Geosciences
Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
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