Abstract
This study assesses a cascade biorefinery that converts Hass avocado seeds from the Colombian Amazon into three co-products: starch, biodegradable biofilms, and a bioinsecticide, employing a gate-to-gate consequential life cycle assessment. The functional unit is defined as 1000 kg of processed seed, supported by Aspen Plus v12.0 simulations for the life-cycle inventory. System expansion, in accordance with ISO 14044, accounts for the avoided production of market substitutes and addresses the multifunctionality of co-products. Findings suggest that the biorefinery can provide net benefits relative to the sanitary landfill baseline across climate change (-474 kg CO2-eq/t; P5–P95: -3510 to -778 kg CO2-eq/t) and other midpoint categories; however, a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis indicates sensitivity in the climate change results, particularly with respect to pesticide substitution levels. Hotspot and scenario analyses identify materials, energy consumption, and waste management as critical factors for environmental enhancements. Overall, this research provides a quantitative, uncertainty-aware foundation for benchmarking avocado seed valorization against conventional disposal and alternative waste management strategies.
