TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method further comprises: recycling at least some of the first and second recovered enzyme stream to the first and second enzymatic hydrolysis, respectively; treating the effluent stream from the first enzymatic hydrolysis process and obtaining a monomeric sugar rich stream and a monomeric sugar reduced stream; subjecting the enzyme reduced effluent stream to fermentation; treating the enzyme reduced effluent stream to remove fermentation inhibitory compounds and then subjecting the enzyme reduced effluent stream to fermentation; subjecting cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin containing material to autohydrolysis or hydrolysis followed by disc refining and obtaining the feedstock. The method comprises (1) step (a) as above per se, (2) subjecting the effluent stream to a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation and obtaining an alcohol stream, and (3) treating at least one of the effluent stream and the alcohol stream to recover enzymes utilized in at least one of (ia) (i) as above per se, and (iia) the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process and obtaining a second recovered enzyme stream, where at least some of the first recovered enzyme stream is recycled to the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process or at least some of the second recovered enzyme stream is recycled to the first enzymatic hydrolysis. The step (b) comprises subjecting the enzyme reduced effluent stream or monomeric sugar reduced stream to the second enzymatic hydrolysis. The step (c) comprises: treating the effluent stream in a micro separation unit to recover enzymes utilized in the first enzymatic hydrolysis and obtaining the first recovered enzyme stream and an enzyme reduced effluent stream; treating the sugar rich process stream in the micro separation unit to recover enzymes utilized in the second enzymatic hydrolysis and obtaining the second recovered enzyme stream and an enzyme reduced sugar rich process stream; filtering the effluent stream and sugar rich process stream to obtain the first and/or second recovered enzyme stream; and treating the monomeric rich sugar stream to recover enzymes utilized in the first enzymatic hydrolysis and obtaining a first recovered enzyme stream and an enzyme reduced effluent stream and recycling at least some of the first recovered enzyme stream to the second enzymatic hydrolysis. The step (d) comprises fermenting the enzyme reduced sugar rich process stream. The filtering step comprises subjecting the effluent stream and sugar rich process stream to at least one membrane filtration process. The effluent stream and sugar rich process is sequentially subjected to ultrafiltration and diafiltration. The monomeric sugar rich stream is obtained by at least one of subjecting the effluent stream to a decanting centrifuge, a filter press, a belt filter, a hydrocyclone and a vibratory screen. The enzyme reduced effluent stream is treated to remove at least one of acetic acid, formic acid, glycerol, furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural. The autohydrolysis has a severity of 3.6-4.5.