An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using Hermetia illucens larvae: Design, sustainability, and economics

Maximilian Julius Pahmeyer; Shahida Anusha Siddiqui; Daniel Pleissner; Janusz Gołaszewski; Volker Heinz; Sergiy Smetana

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134727

An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using Hermetia illucens larvae: Design, sustainability, and economics

Maximilian Julius Pahmeyer
, Shahida Anusha Siddiqui
, Daniel Pleissner
, Janusz Gołaszewski
, Volker Heinz
, Sergiy Smetana

Institute of Sustainable Chemistry

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Large amounts of food are wasted, and valuable contents are not utilized completely. Processing such wastes into biomass of defined composition is possible using insects. However, automation and decentralization of insect-based processes are necessary for certain applications. This study presents a modular design for rearing larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. A life cycle and economic assessment are carried out to check whether the process may be viable. A sales price of 3.55 € per kg of the product would make it profitable within five years. Production of 1 kg of dried larvae would be associated with 2.77 kg CO2 eq emitted, 55.24 MJ of non-renewable energy use, and occupation of 0.68 m2 of organic arable land. Per kg protein, the insect biomass appears more sustainable than database benchmarks. These results indicate that even small-scale insect production processes have sustainability benefits when using food waste.

Original language	English
Article number	134727
Journal	Journal of Cleaner Production
Volume	379
Issue number	Part 2
Number of pages	8
ISSN	0959-6526
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134727
Publication status	Published - 15.12.2022

Bibliographical note

This research is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in the frame of FACCE-SURPLUS/FACCE-JPI project UpWaste, grant numbers 031B0934A and 031B0934B, and by the National (Polish) Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) (Project FACCE SURPLUS/III/UpWaste/02/2020).

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Research areas and keywords

Insects
Waste processing
Food waste
Modular technology
Biology

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Environmental Science(all)
Strategy and Management
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134727Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using Hermetia illucens larvae: Design, sustainability, and economics",

abstract = "Large amounts of food are wasted, and valuable contents are not utilized completely. Processing such wastes into biomass of defined composition is possible using insects. However, automation and decentralization of insect-based processes are necessary for certain applications. This study presents a modular design for rearing larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. A life cycle and economic assessment are carried out to check whether the process may be viable. A sales price of 3.55 € per kg of the product would make it profitable within five years. Production of 1 kg of dried larvae would be associated with 2.77 kg CO2 eq emitted, 55.24 MJ of non-renewable energy use, and occupation of 0.68 m2 of organic arable land. Per kg protein, the insect biomass appears more sustainable than database benchmarks. These results indicate that even small-scale insect production processes have sustainability benefits when using food waste.",

keywords = "Insects, Waste processing, Food waste, Modular technology, Biology",

author = "Pahmeyer, \{Maximilian Julius\} and Siddiqui, \{Shahida Anusha\} and Daniel Pleissner and Janusz Go{\l}aszewski and Volker Heinz and Sergiy Smetana",

note = "This research is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in the frame of FACCE-SURPLUS/FACCE-JPI project UpWaste, grant numbers 031B0934A and 031B0934B, and by the National (Polish) Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) (Project FACCE SURPLUS/III/UpWaste/02/2020). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors",

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An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using Hermetia illucens larvae: Design, sustainability, and economics. / Pahmeyer, Maximilian Julius; Siddiqui, Shahida Anusha; Pleissner, Daniel et al.
In: Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 379, No. Part 2, 134727, 15.12.2022.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using Hermetia illucens larvae

T2 - Design, sustainability, and economics

AU - Pahmeyer, Maximilian Julius

AU - Siddiqui, Shahida Anusha

AU - Pleissner, Daniel

AU - Gołaszewski, Janusz

AU - Heinz, Volker

AU - Smetana, Sergiy

N1 - This research is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in the frame of FACCE-SURPLUS/FACCE-JPI project UpWaste, grant numbers 031B0934A and 031B0934B, and by the National (Polish) Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) (Project FACCE SURPLUS/III/UpWaste/02/2020). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

PY - 2022/12/15

Y1 - 2022/12/15

N2 - Large amounts of food are wasted, and valuable contents are not utilized completely. Processing such wastes into biomass of defined composition is possible using insects. However, automation and decentralization of insect-based processes are necessary for certain applications. This study presents a modular design for rearing larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. A life cycle and economic assessment are carried out to check whether the process may be viable. A sales price of 3.55 € per kg of the product would make it profitable within five years. Production of 1 kg of dried larvae would be associated with 2.77 kg CO2 eq emitted, 55.24 MJ of non-renewable energy use, and occupation of 0.68 m2 of organic arable land. Per kg protein, the insect biomass appears more sustainable than database benchmarks. These results indicate that even small-scale insect production processes have sustainability benefits when using food waste.

AB - Large amounts of food are wasted, and valuable contents are not utilized completely. Processing such wastes into biomass of defined composition is possible using insects. However, automation and decentralization of insect-based processes are necessary for certain applications. This study presents a modular design for rearing larvae of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. A life cycle and economic assessment are carried out to check whether the process may be viable. A sales price of 3.55 € per kg of the product would make it profitable within five years. Production of 1 kg of dried larvae would be associated with 2.77 kg CO2 eq emitted, 55.24 MJ of non-renewable energy use, and occupation of 0.68 m2 of organic arable land. Per kg protein, the insect biomass appears more sustainable than database benchmarks. These results indicate that even small-scale insect production processes have sustainability benefits when using food waste.

KW - Insects

KW - Waste processing

KW - Food waste

KW - Modular technology

KW - Biology

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DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134727

M3 - Journal articles

SN - 0959-6526

VL - 379

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

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M1 - 134727

ER -

An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using Hermetia illucens larvae: Design, sustainability, and economics

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Research areas and keywords

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Access to Document

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