A review on recent developments of oil palm solid waste upcycling into green bio-based materials for sustainable building and construction applications
• Recent developments in the upcycling of oil palm solid waste (OPSW) are reviewed. • OPSW-derived materials for building and construction are comprehensively covered. • Various pre-treatments for OPSW property enhancement are detailed. • OPSW use reduces the cost and environmental footprint of the construction sector. • Research gaps and future potentials are presented. With a growing global awareness of environmental issues and resource depletion, achieving green and sustainable materials has become increasingly critical. Oil palm solid waste holds significant importance in this regard and can be converted into environmentally friendly materials for various sustainable, bio-based product applications and practices. Thus, it highlights the current potential of these green materials and wastes, which have become abundantly available as solid waste in the oil palm industry, including oil palm trunks (OPT), empty fruit bunches (EFB), and oil palm fronds (OPF). This review aims to explore the use of oil palm solid waste as a biomass-derived material, its solid waste extraction and treatment processes, and the potential for green and sustainable applications in building and construction materials with minimal impact on humans and the environment. This review examines the utilisation of oil palm waste, with a deep understanding of its mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, as well as its further management and the application of new technologies in converting it into value-added products. These calls for additional research and innovation in the utilisation of oil palm waste for sustainable applications establish the framework for researchers to contribute to more environmentally friendly approaches. Furthermore, it provides future developments and guidelines that have been discussed, serving as the groundwork for future research activities.
Authors
- Nurhidayatullaili Muhd Julkapli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6672-7972)
- M. Hazwan Hussin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8204-3685)
- Viswanathan S. Saji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1724-0011)
- Nurul Ain Nadirah Jamaluddin
- Tawfik A. Saleh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3037-5159)
- Nur Areisman Bin Mohd Salleh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7676-2579)
- Tahir Rasheed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9265-6303)
- Mohamad Nurul Azman Mohammad Taib (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1904-4279)
Institutions
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia (MY)
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (SA)
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (MY)
- University of Malaya (MY)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Results in Engineering
- Published
- 2025-09-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.107049
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Cellulose Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.39
Funders
- Universiti Malaya