University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have discovered a novel way to address the problem of jet fuel becoming a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions — by converting food waste into sustainable aviation fuel that meets industry standards without relying on fossil fuel blends.

The process, described in a new Nature Communications study, could help the aviation industry meet its ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The researchers convert food waste into biocrude oil through a thermochemical conversion process called hydrothermal liquefaction. Next, they remove impurities from the biocrude oil, and finally, they refine it with the use of hydrogen and catalysts to turn it into aviation fuel.

This approach can be applied to a variety of feedstocks and t

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