Can food waste become biodegradable plastic? Researchers at Southern Cross University are investigating if black soldier flies could be the key to reducing organic waste while creating a sustainable form of bioplastic.
With 84 per cent of plastic sent to landfill in Australia, a new research project is aiming to reduce single-use plastic by exploring how chitin harvested from the exoskeleton of black soldier fly larvae could be used to create a bioplastic that can be reused, recycled and safely break down.
The project is led by entomologist and Chair of Science, Professor Nigel Andrew; senior lecturer of chemistry, Dr Lachlan Yee; and lecturer in innovation and entrepreneurship, Dr Owen Hogan.
Speaking on SCU Buzz podcast, Dr Hogan said black soldier fly farming embodies circular economy principles.
"Synthetic plastics are made from non-renewable sources, they take a long time to break down in the environment and when they do, they break down into microplastics which we are finding everywhere, including in our own human bodies," he said.
"We're looking at black soldier fly larvae as a renewable source of bioplastic. There's a level of circularity to this type of farming because the flies consume huge amounts of organic waste, which keeps that waste out of landfill. The waste then becomes a valuable product in the form of bioplastic."
The bioplastic has a range of applications, according to Dr Yee, including wound dressing.
"The bioplastics themselves, chitin and its derivative chitosan, have been used to create wound dressings because they are biocompatible," he said.
"We're very excited because we are taking waste food and making valuable plastics. Many food waste from restaurants cannot go anywhere but landfill. We could take that waste and feed it to black soldier flies and then after some process you have wound dressings and bandages. How fantastic is that?"
Other products from black soldier fly farming include protein for fish and poultry, lipids and fertiliser.
Dr Hogan said part of the research project includes investigating the commercial avenues of black soldier fly farms: "My interest as part of this team is to look at the commercial viability of producing bioplastics from the larvae and then seeing what application we can make with those bioplastics," he said.
Dr Yee said the impact of black soldier fly farms on waste reduction is two-pronged: concurrently reducing the amount of plastic and organic waste headed to landfill.
"There was a 2022 waste report that found every person in Australia produces half a tonne of organic waste per year," he said.
"Black soldier flies are really special because they can consume just about any organic food at a rapid rate. It's one of those recycling systems that we have the ability to upscale."
Plans are now underway to establish a large-scale black soldier fly farm at Southern Cross University's Northern Rivers campus.
The project is part of the University's ZeroWaste research cluster and ReCirculator program, an initiative striving to implement circular economy principles within Northern Rivers businesses.
