Identification, Quantification and Characterization of palm-tree and fruit wastes

This book chapter gives a detailed description of the worldwide palm trees geographical repartition and the type and the quantities of the produced wastes during their growth and fruits processing. Then, the opportunities of the application of the biorefinery concept of these wastes in several domains including energy, agriculture, and water are deeply discussed. \r\nIt appears that whether the palm trees are destined for date or for palm oil production, the quantities of the generated residues are huge. Different techniques are applied to help the characterization of the wastes including proximate and elemental analysis, FTIR, TGA/ DTG, etc. \r\nFinally, this book chapter recommends various sustainable and eco-friendly management options of these produced wastes. These options mainly include the recovery of renewable energy and the production of high added values by-products such as activated carbon, biofertilizers, and nanocomposites. The main challenges regarding the promotion of the biorefinery process in the palm industry concern mainly the social and the policy aspects and are detailed in the conclusion section.