Using Insects to Process Food Waste

Food waste has become an acute problem in the island nation of Singapore. While the country continues to become urbanized, Singapore is literally running out of space for landfills. Thus, something has to be done to address the hundreds of metric tons of food waste that gets tossed out every year, according to US News.

A solution may have been found in the form of the black soldier fly, a species native to the island. The idea is that the fly lays eggs in mounds of food waste. The flies drop about 600 eggs on the average before dying several days later. When the eggs hatch into larvae, the creatures voraciously eat the food scraps. The larvae are then turned into feed for fish farms and livestock. Their excrement can be used as compost. Thus a new sustainable recycling system is set up that turns food waste from a problem into a resource. A small number of the larvae are allowed to develop into flies, causing the process to start all over again.

The black soldier flies are uniquely suited for such an operation. Unlike other species of flying insects, they do not bite humans, nor do they pass on communicable diseases. The process can break down food scraps that consumers typically throw out and pre-consumer food waste generated by Singapore’s soybean shops and breweries.

The Singapore system works best in enclosed, urban farms that are isolated from the outside environment, keeping in odors and keeping out various pests. Considering the growing popularity of urban farms, with their temperature, light, and nutrient control, close to food markets, the system of using black soldier flies to process food waste could be adapted outside of the island nation. Thus, a new way to deal with food waste has become available for those who are willing to adopt it.