Sustainable biowaste management: Uncovering the environmental footprint of traditional and emerging waste managing technologies

The exponential growth of municipal solid waste (MSW) has intensified the need for sustainable waste management strategies. This review critically evaluates the environmental footprint of traditional and emerging biowaste management technologies, focusing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, their implications for climate change, and their role in resource recovery. Conventional methods such as landfilling, composting, anaerobic digestion (AD), incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification remain dominant yet contribute significantly to environmental pollution. In contrast, emerging technologies like Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) bioconversion have shown promise in mitigating waste-related emissions while generating valuable by-products. Our systematic analysis synthesizes data from over 400 peer-reviewed studies and evaluates various management strategies based on CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, and NH 3 emissions, energy efficiency, and economic feasibility. The findings highlight BSFL as an effective alternative, reducing CH 4 and N 2 O emissions while transforming organic waste into high-value products such as protein-rich biomass, biofertilizers and chitin. However, challenges remain in standardizing operational parameters and optimizing insect breeding conditions to maximize efficiency. This review goes beyond synthesis by providing a comparative environmental assessment of waste management technologies, identifying research gaps, and proposing future directions to enhance sustainable waste valorization practices. We argue that integrating advanced waste treatment technologies with circular economy principles is essential for achieving a sustainable and low-emission waste management system. • BSFL bioconversion reduces CH₄ and N₂O emissions significantly. • Landfilling emits up to 62.86 Gt CO₂-eq annually—highest among methods. • BSFL produces <1 × 10 −6 kg CH₄ and N₂O per ton of waste—lowest emissions. • BSFL offers a low-cost ($6–16/ton), circular waste valorization model.