Palm Oil Mill Wastes Utilization; Sustainability in the Malaysian Context

Palm oil contributes about 19% of worldwide vegetable oil production with Malaysia accounting for over 50% of total production. Due to the global rise in crude oil prices, scientists have been forced to look for cheaper alternatives and palm oil has provided the right platform. This in turn led to an increase in the oil plantations and production in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Palm oil contains a number of vitamins, carotenes, fatty acids, sterols, pigments, and some other components enabling its wide application in the chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries. Palm oil production is an integrated process with several stages starting from good cultivation practices for fruits of high oil content followed by a number of integrated processes for maximal separation and utilization of each oil fraction. The various processing phases generate several by-products which if not dealt with in a scientific manner could lead to deterioration in the ecosystem. In this paper we shall discuss the various ongoing researches regarding the use of Palm mill wastes and suggestions on uses of this valuable crop and its by-products as a future to agriculture and a sustainable environment in Malaysia.