Developing a Black Soldier Fly supply chain that beneficiates organic wastes: a Durban case study.

Abstract

As a result of the global population continuing to expand, the generation of waste is rapidly increasing. The global urban population generated 300,000 tonnes of waste a day in 1990. By 2000, this had increased to three million tonnes of waste a day, and is expected to double by 2025. The increasing volume of waste creates a number of problems including, but not limited to, the exploitation of natural resources and the expenses incurred handling the waste. The majority of waste generated is disposed of in landfills. Landfills are a major contributor to current environmental problems. Organic waste within landfills contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and toxic leachate in the soil and groundwater. There is commonly a build-up of flammable gases within landfills that pose health, safety and environmental risks. The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is a wasp-like insect that has been identified as a potential consumer of organic waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills. The Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) are avid consumers of bio-degradable organic waste. Fully grown BSFL are rich in protein and fatty acids that provide opportunities for the production of various by- products. The purpose of this study is to assess the one commercial BSFL rearing site with operational documentation publicly available. The aim is to assess the on-site operations and develop a functional supply chain. The objectives of the study are to identify the stakeholders involved, understand the operations and logistical activity on-site and to identify key factors and variables within the operation. The study used a single case study approach to analyse documented data in a qualitative context. During the data analysis, each part of the operation was investigated and in summarising the findings, a diagram was presented to fulfil each objective. Each diagram was combined to create a functional supply chain for the BSFL operation. The supply chain outlines the key stakeholders, on-site processes and variables.