Black Soldier Fly Bioconversion for Sustainable Organic Waste Management: A Systematic Review and Circular Economy Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23917/saintek.v3i1.18035Keywords:
larval biomass production, organic residue valorization, biological conversion, waste-to-resource systems, insect protein, organic fertilizer, environmental sustainabilityAbstract
Organic waste is a major environmental challenge due to increasing generation and limitations in conventional waste management systems. This study systematically reviews the potential of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) bioconversion as an integrated approach to sustainable organic waste management. A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted through structured literature searching, screening, data extraction, and thematic synthesis using the PRISMA 2020 framework. The findings indicate that BSF larvae can rapidly reduce organic waste while producing protein-rich larval biomass and nutrient-rich frass. Bioconversion performance is influenced by substrate characteristics, temperature, moisture, aeration, larval density, and operational management. Beyond waste reduction, BSF technology supports resource recovery, alternative feed production, organic fertilizer generation, landfill diversion, and circular economy development. The main contribution of this review is an integrated conceptual framework linking BSF bioconversion with environmental benefits, economic value creation, and sustainable resource management. The findings demonstrate that BSF technology should be considered not merely as a waste treatment method but as an integrated strategy for sustainable organic waste management and circular economy implementation.
Downloads
References
[1] N. Miguel, A. López, S. D. Jojoa-Sierra, J. Gómez, and M. P. Ormad, “Sustainable Management of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste: Microbiological Quality Control During Composting and Its Application in Agriculture on a Pilot Scale,” Sustainability, vol. 17, no. 9, p. 4169, May 2025, doi: 10.3390/su17094169.
[2] A. Kupczyk, “Sustainable management of coastal organic waste: A pilot study on beach wrack treatment in reed bed system,” Journal of Ecological Engineering, vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 202–218, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.12911/22998993/201994.
[3] A. Ghosh et al., “Forecasting organic waste and biomethane generation potential of a non industrial district of Eastern India: A data-driven approach to sustainable energy and waste management,” Cleaner Waste Systems, vol. 12, p. 100378, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.clwas.2025.100378.
[4] L. Rahayu, D. R. Kamardiani, and A. A. Nurusman, “Application of Biopori Technology for Sustainable Management of Household Organic Waste,” BIO Web Conf., vol. 137, p. 03013, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1051/bioconf/202413703013.
[5] L. M. Ulloa-Murillo, L. M. Villegas, A. R. Rodríguez-Ortiz, M. Duque-Acevedo, and F. J. Cortés-García, “Management of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste in the Context of a Sustainable and Circular Model: Analysis of Trends in Latin America and the Caribbean,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 19, no. 10, p. 6041, May 2022, doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106041.
[6] A. Thirunavukkarasu et al., “Sustainable organic waste management using vermicomposting: a critical review on the prevailing research gaps and opportunities,” Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 364–381, 2023, doi: 10.1039/D2EM00324D.
[7] G. Vinci, R. Ruggieri, A. Billi, C. Pagnozzi, M. V. Di Loreto, and M. Ruggeri, “Sustainable Management of Organic Waste and Recycling for Bioplastics: A LCA Approach for the Italian Case Study,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 11, p. 6385, Jun. 2021, doi: 10.3390/su13116385.
[8] N. F. Amrul et al., “A Review of Organic Waste Treatment Using Black Soldier Fly ( Hermetia illucens ),” pp. 1–15, 2022.
[9] R. Bhatt et al., “Vermicomposting for climate change mitigation and sustainable soil health: Organic waste management, nitrogen use efficiency, and ecosystem services,” SAINS TANAH - Journal of Soil Science and Agroclimatology, vol. 22, no. 2, p. 525, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.20961/stjssa.v22i2.108669.
[10] H. Lu et al., “Yeast enrichment facilitated lipid removal and bioconversion by black soldier fly larvae in the food waste treatment,” Waste Management, vol. 166, pp. 152–162, Jul. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.04.003.
[11] S. S. Markam, A. Raj, A. Kumar, and M. L. Khan, “Microbial biosurfactants: Green alternatives and sustainable solution for augmenting pesticide remediation and management of organic waste,” Curr. Res. Microb. Sci., vol. 7, p. 100266, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2024.100266.
[12] S. Ayyappa, S. Malakannavar, and V. G. Jayaramegowda, “Profiling and Valorization of Urban Organic Wastes for Sustainable Soil Nutrient Management and Maize Production,” J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 3112–3130, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.1007/s42729-026-03053-7.
[13] A. Tryhuba et al., “A Data-Driven Risk-Informed Decision Support Framework for Sustainable Municipal Organic Waste Management in Smart Cities,” Sustainability, vol. 18, no. 12, p. 5862, Jun. 2026, doi: 10.3390/su18125862.
[14] D. Domínguez-Solís, M. C. Martínez-Rodríguez, L. E. Campos-Villegas, H. G. Ramírez-Escamilla, and X. V. Bello-Yañez, “Sustainable Management of Organic Waste as Substrates in Constructed Wetlands: A Systematic Review,” Sustainability, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 318, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.3390/su18010318.
[15] P. Homet, D. Zuazagoitia, L. Alcántara Rubio, L. Morillas, M. T. Domínguez, and M. Gil Martínez, “OrgWASTE: La Ciencia Ciudadana como estrategia educativa para comprender la descomposición de la materia orgánica y promover prácticas sostenibles en la gestión de residuos,” Ecosistemas, p. 3084, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.7818/ECOS.3084.
[16] J. Bekier, E. Jamroz, J. Sowiński, K. Adamczewska-Sowińska, M. Wilusz-Nogueira, and D. Gruszka, “Selected Properties of Bioconversion Products of Lignocellulosic Biomass and Biodegradable Municipal Waste as a Method for Sustainable Management of Exogenous Organic Matter,” Sustainability, vol. 17, no. 4, p. 1491, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.3390/su17041491.
[17] S. Zarezadeh et al., “Sustainable soil management in agriculture under drought stress: Utilising waste-derived organic soil amendments and beneficial impacts on soil bacterial processes,” Applied Soil Ecology, vol. 206, p. 105870, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105870.
[18] H. Wang et al., “Precision co-composting of multi-source organic solid wastes provide a sustainable waste management strategy with high eco-efficiency: a life cycle assessment,” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 32, no. 22, pp. 13487–13496, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-32320-2.
[19] M. Xu et al., “Sustainable solutions: Bio-drying for organic solid waste management,” Ind. Crops Prod., vol. 222, p. 119606, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2024.119606.
[20] H. R. Kopaei, M. Nooripoor, A. Karami, and M. Ertz, “Modeling consumer home composting intentions for sustainable municipal organic waste management in Iran,” AIMS Environ. Sci., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1–17, 2021, doi: 10.3934/environsci.2021001.
[21] C. J. Cunningham, T. A. Peshkur, M. S. Kuyukina, and I. B. Ivshina, “Sustainable Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils: Opportunities for Symbiosis with Organic Waste Management?,” Russ. J. Ecol., vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 463–469, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1134/S1067413621060047.
[22] H. Zhang et al., “Isolation and characterization of cyromazine-degrading bacteria from soil and its application in bioconversion by black soldier fly,” Environ. Technol. Innov., vol. 39, p. 104221, Aug. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.eti.2025.104221.
[23] S. Vozzo et al., “Bioconversion of expired canned cat food via Black Soldier Fly larvae: a sustainable approach to waste valorisation,” Ital. J. Anim. Sci., vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1437–1448, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1080/1828051X.2025.2524545.
[24] Y. Zhang et al., “Integrating metabolomics and physicochemical analysis in black soldier fly bioconversion of Schizochytrium residue: A pathway to high-value ω-3 products,” Future Foods, vol. 12, p. 100759, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.fufo.2025.100759.
[25] N. Wu et al., “Black soldier fly larvae bioconversion and subsequent composting promote larval frass quality during pig and chicken manure transformation process,” Bioresour. Technol., vol. 402, p. 130777, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130777.
[26] J. V. Vodounnou et al., “Valorization of Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) Through Bioconversion for Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens): Larvae Growth, Survival Rate, and Nutritional Quality,” Insects, vol. 16, no. 10, p. 1068, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.3390/insects16101068.
[27] C. Lalander, I. G. Lopes, N. Gyftopoulos, and B. Vinnerås, “The impact of scale and frass recirculation on pathogen inactivation dynamics in black soldier fly larvae bioconversion,” Front. Microbiol., vol. 16, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1539486.
[28] Y. El-byari and M. B. Amraoui, “Enhancement of bioconversion of vegetable biowaste by black soldier fly larvae: Influence of mechanical and thermomechanical pretreatments,” Sci. Afr., vol. 27, p. e02626, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02626.
[29] A. R. K. Kullan, A. Suresh, H. L. Choi, E. Gabriel Neumann, and F. Hassan, “Bioconversion of Poultry Litter into Insect Meal and Organic Frasstilizer Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae as a Circular Economy Model for the Poultry Industry: A Review,” Insects, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 12, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.3390/insects16010012.
[30] Y. Yu et al., “Engineering a gut synthetic microbial community to enhance protein bioconversion from organic wastes by black soldier fly larvae,” Bioresour. Technol., vol. 456, p. 134927, Sep. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134927.
[31] D. T. Pavlopoulos, E.-A. Papadopoulou, K. M. Kasiotis, and S. A. Haroutounian, “Black Soldier Fly Promoted Bioconversion of Tomato Toxic Plant Biomass to Safe, Functional Animal Feed,” Molecules, vol. 31, no. 7, p. 1098, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.3390/molecules31071098.
[32] M. Shao et al., “Synergistic bioconversion of organic waste by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae and thermophilic cellulose-degrading bacteria,” Front. Microbiol., vol. 14, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1288227.
[33] B. H. Niranjan et al., “Bioconversion and Performance of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) in Converting Organic Poultry Waste Materials into High Value Products and Fertilizers,” Waste Biomass Valorization, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 5559–5572, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s12649-024-02542-z.
[34] B. D. Prasetiyo, Q. Sholihah, Aulanni’am, and H. Riniwati, “Modelling Bioconversion Processes in Hospital Food Waste Management Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae,” International Journal of Environmental Impacts, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 305–317, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.18280/ijei.070215.
[35] G. Alciatore et al., “Preservation of agri-food byproducts by acidification and fermentation in black soldier fly larvae bioconversion,” Waste Management, vol. 186, pp. 109–118, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.05.043.
[36] Z. Xu et al., “Microplastics impair black soldier fly bioconversion of pigeon manure: Physiological and transcriptomic insights,” Int. Biodeterior. Biodegradation, vol. 205, p. 106181, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2025.106181.
[37] L. Broeckx et al., “Macronutrient-Based Predictive Modelling of Bioconversion Efficiency in Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Through Artificial Substrates,” Insects, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 77, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.3390/insects16010077.
[38] A. A. Bedasa and M. H. Habtegebriel, “Black soldier fly Hermetia illucens larvae in organic waste bioconversion current applications economic opportunities and environmental benefits,” Discover Environment, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 390, Jul. 2026, doi: 10.1007/s44274-026-00927-6.
[39] K. Pahlavanyali et al., “Valorization of Waste Milk and Dairy Manure Through Black Soldier Fly Larval Bioconversion,” Waste Biomass Valorization, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.1007/s12649-026-03616-w.
[40] R. Ursada, A. Y. Bagastyo, C. Y. Tay, A. Purnomo, and I. D. A. A. Warmadewanthi, “Bioconversion of sludge waste by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae: A review of the potential use of food and beverage industry sludge as a rearing substrate,” Cleaner Waste Systems, vol. 14, p. 100500, Jun. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.clwas.2026.100500.
[41] N. Kharel et al., “Density and substrate-dependent performance of black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) reared on locally available biowastes in Nepal: Effects on growth, bioconversion, and nutritional composition,” Cleaner Waste Systems, vol. 13, p. 100482, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.clwas.2026.100482.
[42] J.-S. Chou, B. Phakdee, Z.-T. Lin, C.-P. Yu, P.-H. Wu, and C. Shih, “Automated computer vision monitoring of black soldier fly larval growth using metaheuristic optimization for waste-to-feed bioconversion,” Comput. Electron. Agric., vol. 248, p. 111679, Jul. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.compag.2026.111679.
[43] H. Su et al., “The Valorization of Food Waste into High-Value Biomass and Organic Fertilizers Through Bioconversion Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens),” Recycling, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 8, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.3390/recycling11010008.
[44] Y. A. Y. Abdellah et al., “Bioconversion to bioresources: Pollutant detoxification mechanisms and circular bioeconomy prospects in black soldier fly larvae composting,” Environ. Technol. Innov., vol. 42, p. 104878, Jun. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.eti.2026.104878.
[45] M. M. Mortula, A. Ahmed, K. P. Fattah, G. Zannerni, S. A. Shah, and A. M. Sharaby, “Sustainable Management of Organic Wastes in Sharjah, UAE through Co-Composting,” Methods Protoc., vol. 3, no. 4, p. 76, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.3390/mps3040076.
[46] R. A. Teixeira, A. M. Nicolau Korres, R. M. Borges, L. L. Rabello, I. C. Ribeiro, and J. R. Bringhenti, “Sustainable Practices for the Organic Waste Management Generated in an Educational Institution Restaurant,” 2020, pp. 803–820. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_49.
[47] F. J. Andriamanohiarisoamanana, S. Yasui, T. Yamashiro, V. Ramanoelina, I. Ihara, and K. Umetsu, “Anaerobic co-digestion: a sustainable approach to food processing organic waste management,” J. Mater. Cycles Waste Manag., vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 1501–1508, Sep. 2020, doi: 10.1007/s10163-020-01040-3.
[48] R. K. Ganguly and S. K. Chakraborty, “Eco-management of Industrial Organic Wastes Through the Modified Innovative Vermicomposting Process: A Sustainable Approach in Tropical Countries,” in Earthworm Assisted Remediation of Effluents and Wastes, Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2020, pp. 161–177. doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-4522-1_10.
[49] R. Kumarasamy Sivasamy, K. Kuppamuthu, L. Krishnasamy Nagaraj, S. P. Manikandan, R. Kulandaivel, and J. G. Bastin, “Utilizing Organic Wastes for Probiotic and Bioproduct Development: A Sustainable Approach for Management of Organic Waste,” in Strategies and Tools for Pollutant Mitigation, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022, pp. 3–28. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-98241-6_1.
[50] P. Boakye et al., “Pyrolysis of municipal food waste: A sustainable potential approach for solid food waste management and organic crop fertilizer production,” Sustainable Environment, vol. 9, no. 1, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1080/27658511.2023.2260057.
[51] S. A. Guvem, B. Ozbey-Unal, B. Keskinler, and C. Balcik, “Redefining the waste: Sustainable management of olive mill waste for the recovery of phenolic compounds and organic acids,” Journal of Water Process Engineering, vol. 68, p. 106343, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.106343.
[52] J. Wang et al., “Organic waste recycling for green and sustainable nitrogen management of fruit production systems in China,” Agric. Syst., vol. 218, p. 103959, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103959.
[53] S. Naser El Deen et al., “Bioconversion of Different Waste Streams of Animal and Vegetal Origin and Manure by Black Soldier Fly Larvae Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae),” Insects, vol. 14, no. 2, p. 204, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.3390/insects14020204.
[54] A. Resconi et al., “Effects of brewery by-products on growth performance, bioconversion efficiency, nutritional profile, and microbiota and mycobiota of black soldier fly larvae,” animal, vol. 18, no. 9, p. 101288, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101288.
[55] Z. Zhang et al., “Toxic Effects of Industrial Flocculants Addition on Bioconversion of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens L.),” Insects, vol. 13, no. 8, p. 683, Jul. 2022, doi: 10.3390/insects13080683.
[56] F. Wang et al., “Co-digestion of chicken manure and sewage sludge in black soldier fly larvae bioconversion system: bacterial biodiversity and nutrients quality of residues for biofertilizer application,” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 30, no. 57, pp. 119804–119813, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-30717-z.
[57] Z.-C. Zhang, P. Gu, K.-L. Yang, M.-X. Zhao, Z.-X. Huang, and H.-F. Miao, “Bioconversion of cyanobacteria by black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L.): Enhancement by antioxidants,” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 822, p. 153524, May 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153524.
[58] N. Wu, X. Wang, Z. Mao, J. Liang, X. Liu, and X. Xu, “Bioconversion of chicken meat and bone meal by black soldier fly larvae: Effects of straw addition on the quality and microbial profile of larval frass,” J. Environ. Manage., vol. 307, p. 114579, Apr. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114579.
[59] G. Arabzadeh et al., “Diet Composition Influences Growth Performance, Bioconversion of Black Soldier Fly Larvae: Agronomic Value and In Vitro Biofungicidal Activity of Derived Frass,” Agronomy, vol. 12, no. 8, p. 1765, Jul. 2022, doi: 10.3390/agronomy12081765.
[60] K. Bohm, G. A. Hatley, B. H. Robinson, and M. J. Gutiérrez-Ginés, “Black Soldier Fly-based bioconversion of biosolids creates high-value products with low heavy metal concentrations,” Resour. Conserv. Recycl., vol. 180, p. 106149, May 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.106149.
[61] T. C. Nathaniela, A. Pramono, S. A. Nurwardani, A. L. Gunawan, and M. D. Adhirajasa, “Manage Waste organic with Bioconversion Black Soldier Fly on Business Mega Maggot,” E3S Web of Conferences, vol. 444, p. 04036, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1051/e3sconf/202344404036.
[62] U. Julita, L. L. Fitri, and A. D. Permana, “Bioconversion efficiencies of several food waste by black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae for sustainable waste management,” 2023, p. 020011. doi: 10.1063/5.0129600.
[63] S. Sakiroh, K. D. Sasmita, N. K. Firdaus, D. N. Rokhmah, D. Pranowo, and S. Saefudin, “The effectiveness of liquid biofertilizer from waste bioconversion using black soldier fly larvae on the growth of arabica coffee seedlings,” E3S Web of Conferences, vol. 373, p. 04022, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.1051/e3sconf/202337304022.
Downloads
Submitted
Accepted
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2027 Hakim Garda Patria, Lista Ferlindia Putri Vanisa, Arundia Putri Wimala, Chintiya Fauziah Sulistiyawan, Rahima Laili Agustine, Faridhatun Nikmah, Yasir Sidiq, Siti Hadiyati Nur Hafida, Gautam Kumar Jha

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.










