Creating Circular Economy of Waste Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) Technology

The currently used linear model of consumption “take-make-use-dispose” by the humans will not be workable for our common sustainable future. Circular economy is a sustainable competitive economy which ensures efficient use if resources and products for a longer duration in closed loops with minimized waste generation. Sustainable waste management is becoming a global challenge and is acute in low and middle income countries. Value in various waste streams can be achieved through source waste segregation, which is a prerequisite to turn waste into a resource. In these countries an extensive network of informal sector collects the recyclables around 30% and sell to the well-established market. The remaining major proportion around 50–75% of the municipal solid waste is organic which is not perceived as a significant economic resource to warrant segregation. Therefore, it generally ends up in the waste bins, mixed with other low value materials and is either disposed indiscriminately resulting in huge waste management costs, posing serious environmental and health risks. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) is an emerging and promising environmental friendly option that efficiently reduce, treats and converts varying types of organic wastes into protein rich animal feed and soil amendment in a time period of just two weeks with more than 80% waste reductions and nearly 20% bioconversions. Scientists declared BSFL as ‘crown jewel’ of insects in the feed industry due to its environmental, hygienic and socio economic benefits and also marked it as one of the safest waste upcycling bugs in comparison with other insects. In 2050, a 10 billion human population is expected that would double the demand for protein food, thus suffocating the mother Earth with huge amounts of waste. BSFL technology is one promising option that can meet increasing food demand by recycling the organic waste efficiently, in closed loops with an expected market to reach $3.4 billion by the year 2030. The system can be engineered on the basis of required optimum environmental conditions and operational aspects, thus maximizing environmental benefit and product harvest. Currently the world is emphasizing on community based decentralized BSFL waste upcycling facilities and product commercialization that can bring huge savings in waste management costs. BSFL treats the otherwise low values organic waste and save government funds for its handling, produces high value products acting as an income resource. It can be considered as an option that provides win-win situation for humans as well as the nature.