A Spanish-Australian team of scientists has developed an innovative method of decomposing plastic waste. In one of its main stages, waste is digested by insect larvae and transformed into valuable products. As researchers argue, this idea not only solves the garbage problem, but also contributes to improving soil quality.
The solution aims to help the world tackle two global environmental challenges in a sustainable way: plastic pollution and organic waste management. Research on the use of insect larvae for this purpose has been ongoing for years.
In the first stage of the system developed by Spanish and Australian scientists, mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) are fed a diet high in plastic, which leads to the production of feces containing microplastics. This excrement is then subjected to pyrolysis, a thermal process that turns it into biochar. It is a material with excellent adsorption properties for pollutants.
In the second stage, the biochar is incorporated into the process in which the black fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) decompose organic waste such as food scraps. The final product is a nutritious substance enriched with carbon and nitrogen, which is a valuable resource for agricultural applications, for example.
Two in one
– This innovative system is based on the principles of ecotechnology, combining insect-based bioconversion with advanced pyrolysis techniques to create a solution for the renewable management of plastic and organic waste. At the same time, it allows the production of valuable by-products – explains Juan C. Sanchez-Hernandez from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, the main author of the technology.
As the scientist adds, “by producing nutritious compost enriched with biochar, we solve the waste problem while contributing to improving soil health.”
Mealworm larvaeShutterstock
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