Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 May 2;14(5):434.
doi: 10.3390/insects14050434.

Potential Application of Black Soldier Fly Larva Bins in Treating Food Waste

Irfana Kabir Ahmad  1   2 , Ng Teck Peng  1 , Nur Fardilla Amrul  1 , Noor Ezlin Ahmad Basri  1   2 , Nurul Ain Abdul Jalil  3 , Nur Asyiqin Azman  1
Affiliations

Potential Application of Black Soldier Fly Larva Bins in Treating Food Waste

Irfana Kabir Ahmad et al. Insects. .

Abstract

The increase in the global population has led to a rise in organic waste generation and landfill sites. Consequently, there has been a global shift in focus towards the utilization of BSFL to address these challenges. This study aims to design, develop, and test a user-friendly BSFL bin and identify the optimal MCCM for treating organic waste using BSFL. The four BSFL bins have a dimension of 330 mm (width) × 440 mm (length) × 285 mm (height). This study uses mixtures of food waste added with different MCCMs, including chicken feed, rice bran, and garden waste. We add the mediums to the BSFL bins every third day and measure the humidity, ambient temperature, pH, medium temperature, and BSFL weight and length. The measurements show that the fabricated BSFL bins can fulfill the BSF lifecycle requirements. Wild BSFs lay eggs in the medium of BSFL bins, and the hatched larvae decompose it. When they reach the prepupae stage, they climb the ramp into the harvesting container. The results show that the food waste without MCCM produced the heaviest (0.228 g) and longest (2.16 cm) larvae; the prepupae are 2.15 cm long and weigh 0.225 g; and the growth rate is 53.72%. However, the high moisture content of 75.3% makes the maintenance work challenging. The medium with MCCM has a markedly lower moisture content of 51-58%. A comparison of the three MCCMs shows that the chicken feed produces the larvae and prepupae with the highest growth rate (the larvae are 2.10 cm long and weigh 0.224 g, the prepupae are 2.11 cm long and weigh 0.221 g, and the growth rate is 72.36%) and the frass with the lowest moisture content (51.2%). An effective BSFL composting system is easy to manage and produces the biggest larvae. In summary, food waste mixed with chicken feed is the most suitable MCCM for treating organic waste using BSFL.

Keywords: Hemertia illucens; black soldier fly bin design; chicken feed; composting; organic waste.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Design of the BSFL bin, (a) side view; (b) top view; and (c) front and rear view.
Figure 2
Figure 2
BSFL bin prototype.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The fabricated BSFL bin, (a) inside bin; (b) lid without roof; and (c) lid with roof.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Condition of MCCM before mixing with food waste: (a) chicken feed; (b) rice bran; and (c) pulverized garden waste.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Change in the pH of the medium.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Changes in the temperature of the medium.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Change in the moisture content of the medium.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Waste Reduction Index (WRI).
Figure 9
Figure 9
The average weight of the larvae (g).
Figure 10
Figure 10
The average length of the larvae (cm).
Figure 11
Figure 11
The physical changes in the frass.
Figure 12
Figure 12
The harvesting container on second rearing cycle Day 11.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. United Nations Population Division. [(accessed on 31 January 2023)]. Available online: https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/
    1. Thi N.B.D., Kumar G., Lin C.Y. An overview of food waste management in developing countries: Current status and future perspective. J. Environ. Manag. 2015;157:220–229. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.04.022. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fazeli A., Bakhtvar F., Jahanshaloo L., Che Sidik N.A., Bayat A.E. Malaysia’s stand on municipal solid waste conversion to energy: A review. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 2016;58:1007–1016. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.270. - DOI
    1. The Sun Daily. Malaysians Waste 15,000 Tonnes of Food Daily. The Sun Daily, 22 May 2016. [(accessed on 28 June 2022)]. Available online: https://www.thesundaily.my/opinion/reduce-food-waste-15-000-tonnes-daily....
    1. The Stars Online. Wasteful Ways of Malaysian Gluttons. The Stars Online, 5 June 2013. [(accessed on 28 June 2022)]. Available online: https://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/06/05/Wasteful-ways-of-Malay...

LinkOut - more resources