Enhancing Circularity in the Agricultural Sector: A Life Cycle Assessment Study of Peanut Shell Valorization Pathways

Agricultural operations generate substantial quantities of waste, including lignocellulosic residues such as peanut shells, which are frequently undervalued and disposed of via conventional methods like landfilling. This study employs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to assess the environmental sustainability of valorizing these shells for thermal energy production and peanut-shell-filled starch-based biocomposite manufacturing. The analysis compared a reference waste scenario against two valorization pathways: Scenario A, which involves combustion for thermal energy to offset fossil fuel use, and Scenario B, which processes the biomass into a biocomposite. The results indicate that both valorization strategies significantly reduce environmental impacts compared to the reference scenario, particularly regarding greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the thermal energy recovery scenario reduced the climate change impact from 0.290 to 0.017 kg CO2 eq. per functional unit, while the biocomposite scenario resulted in a net value of −0.350 kg CO2 eq. per functional unit under the assumed 1:1 HDPE substitution. Thereby, the results highlight the potential for peanut shell valorization to support the concept of circular economy and improve the environmental performance of the agricultural sector.