The ongoing discharge of containments into the environment has raised concerns about the potential harm they pose to various organisms. In the framework of eliminating pharmaceutical chemicals from aqueous solutions, enzymatic degradation by laccase is an environmentally friendly option. In this investigation, laccase immobilized on biochar derived from agricultural waste (orange peels, OPs) was used for the first time to remove carbamazepine and diclofenac from aqueous media. Different characterizations, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area (S_BET), Boehm titration, proximate and ultimate analysis, as well as the point of zero-charge (pH_PZC) analysis, were used in this study. The immobilization of laccase results in enhanced stability with respect to storage, temperature, and pH compared to laccase in its free form. The findings showed that the ideal conditions for immobilization were a pH of 4, a temperature of 30 °C, and a laccase concentration of 4.5 mg/mL. These parameters led to an immobilization yield of 63.40%. The stability of laccase immobilized on biochar derived from orange peels (LMOPs) was assessed over a period of 60 days, during which they preserved 60.2% and 47.3% of their initial activities when stored at temperatures of 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively. In contrast, free laccase exhibited lower stability, with only 33.6% and 15.4% of their initial activities maintained under the same storage conditions. Finally, the use of immobilized laccase proved to be effective in eliminating these pollutants in up to five cycles. Upon comparing the two systems, namely LMOPs and modified orange peels (MOPs), it becomes apparent that LMOPs exhibit an estimated 20% improvement in removal efficiency. These results affirmed the viability of activated carbon derived from OPs as a cost-effective option for immobilizing laccase. This approach could potentially be further scaled up to effectively eliminate organic pollutants from water sources.

A few industries, such as the beverage industry, have experienced some growth in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, beverage companies alone generate over 200 million tonnes of biomass annually, which largely ends up as animal feed or in landfills. With the UK government’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 68% in 2030, many companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), are exploring options to reduce carbon emissions and develop roadmaps to become carbon neutral. It has thus become imperative for beverage companies to find value in or repurpose their waste. This paper unlocks the potential for improving the fuel properties of beverage waste through a blending process and explores the determination of optimal fractions for the blends via characterization. With an initial moisture content of 82 and 58 wt.% brewery spent grain (BSG) and spent coffee grounds (SCG), respectively, the pre-treatment process reduced moisture content by approximately 10–15 wt.%. The study concludes that biomass blending improved the fuel properties of the biomass, providing a competitive comparison with coal for energy applications.