Evaluating the quality of pellets durian peel waste: potential and carbon footprint on production

• Reduce the burden of municipal solids waste. • Reutilize waste and create added value, produced of durian peel pellets from fruit markets waste. • Increase energy sources from biomass, obtained durian peel pellets from durian peel, which are waste biomass. Durian peel (DP) constitutes a large portion of organic waste in fruit markets, and this study explored its potential conversion into biomass pellets. The objectives were to investigate the DP pelleting process, assess the economic feasibility of pellet production, and evaluate its carbon footprint. Water and waste cooking oil (WCO) were tested as binders in different mixing ratios. Although WCO enhanced the heating value of the pellets, it negatively affected pellet shape retention. The most suitable formulation was identified as a DP-to-water ratio of 90:10, without added oil. This recipe produced pellets with the highest durability and compressive strength while maintaining comparable thermal efficiency to other formulations. All pellet recipes met Thai industrial standards. To support decision-making for commercialization, an economic cost–benefit analysis was conducted. Results indicated that producing 202 tons of DP pellets annually would require approximately 1,392 tons of fresh DP. To achieve a one-year payback period, the pellets would need to be sold at a minimum price of 3,300 THB per ton. The estimated greenhouse gas emissions from the production process ranged from 161 to 179.37 kg CO₂-equivalent per ton of pellets. Overall, the study demonstrates the feasibility of transforming DP into renewable biomass fuel, highlighting its potential for industrial application and contributing to more efficient organic waste management.