Azevedo, AndréLapa, NunoMoldão, MargaridaGominho, JorgeDuarte, Elizabeth2025-07-012025-07-012025-032772-4271PURE: 107767608PURE UUID: c77042fd-9c73-44e3-8910-603c501aed0aScopus: 85214242531WOS: 001420640700001ORCID: /0000-0001-7862-7477/work/187092212http://hdl.handle.net/10362/184699Funding Information: This research was funded by national funds from FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., through the doctoral scholarship “UI/BD/151370/2021″ attributed to Mr. André Azevedo, under the project “UIDB/04129/2020″ of LEAF (Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food Research Unit), and PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the projects “UIDB/50006/2020″ and “UIDP/50006/2020″ attributed to the Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV). Publisher Copyright: © 2024Global population growth has led to a significant increase in food waste, including Fruit and Vegetable Waste (FVW). Anaerobic co-digestion offers a sustainable way to valorise FVW, especially when combined with Municipal Sewage Sludge (MSS) to mitigate imbalances in their mono-digestion. This study investigates the effects of storage temperatures (10 °C and 25 °C, which represent Mediterranean climates with an Atlantic influence like Portugal) on the degradation of apple, carrot, and banana peels. Changes in physicochemical properties were assessed and anaerobic co-digestion batch assays with purées of fresh and stored FVW alongside MSS were performed. Results indicated that apple peels purées, at a 1:2 peel-to-water ratio, achieved over the double of volatile solids concentration compared to MSS, with each FVW type having a C/N ratio above 40. Storage at 10 °C significantly reduced the degradation of total and volatile solids, as well as chemical oxygen demand, with apple peels retaining the highest carbohydrate concentrations. Anaerobic co-digestion with fresh FVW boosted biogas and CH4 production by 19.5% and 15.2%, respectively. FVW storage at 10 °C further enhanced CH4 yield and decreased H2S content by 71% relative to MSS mono-digestion. These findings demonstrate that mild storage temperatures can improve biogas quality and yield by facilitating controlled FVW degradation.132985767engBiogasMunicipal sewage sludgeNatural degradationPeels’ storagePhysicochemical propertiesTemperatureEnergy (miscellaneous)Environmental Science (miscellaneous)SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communitiesjournal article10.1016/j.nexus.2024.100354https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85214242531https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001420640700001