Circular economy models in biotechnology: waste-to-resource pathways for biodiversity enhancement

Abstract

Abstract The transitional shift from a linear production-consumption-disposal model towards a circular economy model leads to ecosystem pressure reduction while maintaining biodiversity protection. This study develops and assesses waste-to-resource biotechnology systems to determine their impact on biodiversity conservation in Malaysia. The research study employed mixed methods which combined library resource analysis with government report evaluation and interviews with 15 experts and conceptual modeling. The researchers gathered data from 111 operational facilities located in Selangor Johor Penang Sabah and Sarawak for the years 2024 to 2025 and used MaxQDA software for their data analysis. The findings showed that the palm oil industry, with 95.6 million tons of waste generated per year, has the largest share (62.4%) in the country’s organic waste. Black soldier fly larvae demonstrated maximum efficiency because they achieved waste reduction of 92.5% while anaerobic digestion reached 78.3% and bioplastic conversion achieved 71.2% waste reduction. The composting process achieved an efficiency rate of 65.8 percent while the biofertilizer production process achieved an efficiency rate of 58.4%. The SMOKAHs from Sarawak and the bamboo revitalization project in Perak showed biodiversity indices of 8.1 and 8.4 which displayed a notable difference when compared to the landfill site biodiversity index of 4.2. The black soldier fly larvae method produced 350 kilograms of carbon emission reduction per ton which accounts for 81.1% less than the in-situ burial method. The results demonstrate that new biotechnologies achieve better waste reduction results which help local communities and boost biodiversity through carbon emission reductions and the development of useful products. The implementation of these findings in Malaysia’s Fifth Plan (2026-2030) policies is necessary for the country to achieve its circular economy objectives and biodiversity protection goals.