Present investigation explores the use of pineapple peel, a food industry waste, for acetone-butanol- ethanol (ABE) production using Clostridium acetobutylicum B 527. Proximate analysis of pineapple peel shows that it contains 35% cellulose, 19% hemicellulose, and 16% lignin on dry basis. Drying experiments on pineapple peel waste were carried out in the temperature range of 60–120 C and experimental drying data was modeled using moisture diffusion control model to study its effect on ABE production. The pro- duction of ABE was further accomplished via acid hydrolysis, detoxification, and fermentation process. Maximum total sugar release obtained by using acid hydrolysis was 97 g/L with 95–97% and 10–50% removal of phenolics and acetic acid, respectively during detoxification process. The maximum ABE titer obtained was 5.23 g/L with 55.6% substrate consumption when samples dried at 120 C were used as a substrate (after detoxification).