Sustainable biowaste recycling using insects

Abstract

Solid waste management is an important environmental and public health challenge, particularly in the developing world. This chapter highlights the importance of organic waste recycling using insects, which can subsequently be utilized as an alternative animal feed or even human food ingredient. In addition, biowaste conversion by exploiting insects is found to be environmentally more beneficial (reduced greenhouse gas emissions) than traditional waste handling, such as composting. Thus, organic waste valorization via insects could be a sustainable measure of biowaste treatment as it generates novel nutrient sources while posing a minimum threat to the environment. Characterizing biowaste as an insect rearing substrate, examining the potential role of the insect gut microbiota on waste degradability and insect biomass and quality, and identifying environmentally friendly residue handling approaches are some of the critical aspects for insect-based biowaste recycling in the future.