Food loss (FL) and food waste (FW) have become severe global problems, contributing to resource inefficiency and environmental degradation. Approximately 6% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are derived from FW, which is usually discarded in landfills, emitting methane, a gas that is 28 times more harmful than CO₂. Diverting the path of FW towards the energy industry represents a promising avenue to mitigate the environmental impact and save resources while generating energy substitutes. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was utilized to conduct a systematic literature review on 10 different conversion processes used to convert FL and FW into energy. Anaerobic bioconversion integrated with pyrolysis emerges as a potential eco-friendly and promising solution for FW management, nutrient recovery and energy production in various forms, including biogas, heat, biohydrogen and biochar. Despite its potential, the anaerobic digestion of FW still faces some challenges related to the production of intermediate harmful compounds (VOCs, NH₃, H₂S), which necessitate precise process control and optimization. Nonetheless, converting FW into energy can provide economic and environmental benefits in the context of the circular economy. This review offers insightful information to stakeholders, academics and policymakers who are interested in utilizing FW as a means of producing sustainable energy by summarizing the important findings of ten different waste-to-energy processing methods and their potential for improved energy recovery efficiency.

The accelerating global transition towards a circular economy necessitates a fundamental rethinking of how we assess environmental impacts, particularly through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Traditional LCA frameworks are largely linear, assessing the environmental burdens of products from cradle to grave. However, in an era where circularity is a policy goal and industrial practice, there is a growing need to reformulate LCA to effectively capture closed-loop systems, multiple product life cycles, and dynamic material flows. This opinion paper outlines the critical frontiers in LCA research and practice needed to address materials circularity, highlighting methodological innovations, integration challenges, and the role of digital technologies in enabling circular thinking within life cycle frameworks. The paper is based on peer-reviewed studies from four academic databases, using the keywords: “Life Cycle Assessment”, “Circular Economy”, “food valorization”, “food loss”, and “food waste”. Findings reveal that while several circularity indicators have emerged, traditional LCA often fails to account for avoided emissions, particularly in perishable goods.