Assessing landfill wastes as a sustainable feeding substrate for black soldier fly larvae

The rapid growth of the global population has led to an alarming increase in waste generation, with landfills continuing to serve as the primary waste management solution in many developing countries. This surge in solid waste accumulation is putting immense pressure on landfill capacities, underscoring the urgent need for innovative waste management strategies, especially in regions still heavily dependent on traditional systems. This study investigates the potential of black soldier fly larvae to process 3 distinct types of landfill waste: food waste, aged landfill waste, and municipal solid waste sludge. Neonate larvae (0-1-day-old) were applied to 2.5 ± 0.02 kg of waste to assess key performance metrics, including waste reduction (% dry matter), survival rate (%), bioconversion rate (% dry matter), and waste conversion efficiency (% dry matter). The results revealed that black soldier fly larvae effectively reduced waste by 41.6-55.8%. However, across all treatment groups, the larvae exhibited low efficiency in converting waste into biomass. Notably, while performance comparisons with the control feed (commercial chicken feed) yielded predominantly adverse outcomes, the fresh waste treatment showed a marginally positive impact on waste reduction. These findings highlight the potential of black soldier fly larvae in landfill waste management while also identifying significant limitations in bioconversion efficiency. To optimize the application of black soldier fly larvae in sustainable waste management practices, further research is warranted to explore innovative pretreatment methods and other factors that could enhance their efficacy in biomass production.