For the first time in NSW, black soldier fly larvae or maggots will turn residential food scraps into protein-rich animal feed and fertiliser.
The City of Sydney and food waste innovator Goterra will join forces in a 12-month trial to process up to 600 tonnes of food scraps collected in our food scraps recycling service.
“This is the next step in our war against waste. Using maggots is an innovative and sustainable solution for this growing problem,” Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.
The trial is scheduled to start at the end of this year once the purpose-built processing module has been installed at a local waste facility in Alexandria.
Food scraps make up around one-third of the waste in red lid rubbish bins. When food waste reaches landfill, the organic material decomposes, emitting methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases on the planet. This trial provides a sustainable and circular solution to processing that growing waste problem.
How the food scraps will be processed
Food scraps will be collected and transported to Alexandria, where they’ll be fed to black soldier fly larvae. By transporting it locally, we’ll greatly reduce emissions and fuel costs.
These larvae can eat twice their own body weight every day. The manure they produce is processed into fertiliser. The maggots themselves are processed into protein, rich in vitamins and minerals. This larvae protein can be fed to fish and poultry or even turned into pet food, replacing high carbon emission protein sources like soy beans, animal protein and fish meal.
“This is a brilliant circular economy result as we regenerate what was once considered waste into sustainable commodities: insect protein for animal feed and a natural low-impact fertiliser, both essential for food production,” the Lord Mayor said.
Unlike other insects, the black soldier fly doesn’t carry or spread disease and its larvae breaks down bacteria in the food scraps they eat.
Get involved
More than 21,000 households take part in our food scraps recycling service.
For your apartment building to join the service, you can register your interest. There are no spaces available for houses or terraces right now, but you can call us on 02 9265 9333 or email council@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au to be placed on the waitlist.
Published 21 June 2024
