Using black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) to bioconvert waste from the livestock production chain: A life cycle assessment case study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to enhance waste from the livestock production chain using insects to produce biomaterials that can fall within the agricultural production cycle (e.g. plastic mulch), in order to achieve sustainability throughout the technological process. After stabilization by drying, mature larvae of Hermetia illucens reared on substrate composed of poultry manure, zeolite and water were chemically separated in the laboratory to extract the proteic, lipidic and chitinic fractions. Proteins were then isolated and added to other components in order to obtain bioplastics. The environmental impacts of the bioplastic production process developed at a laboratory scale was evaluated through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology.