Evaluating Waste Reduction Efficiency of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) on Different Waste Types: A Comparative Study on Kitchen, Fruit, and Vegetable Waste

Authors

• Hannah Mawutor Attipoe, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaFollow
• Yvonne Afua Sika Adjei, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaFollow
• Sharon Gyekyewaa Asare, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.Follow
• Obadiah Opoku-Bamfoh, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.Follow
• Gifty Boakye Appiah, Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaFollow
• Ndep Ntui Asundep, Solano County Public Health, Fairfield, California, 9453, USA.Follow
• Sandra Abankwa Kwarteng, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.Follow

Abstract

In many developing countries, food waste constitutes a significant share of municipal solid waste and is often poorly managed, causing environmental degradation. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL), Hermetia illucens, have emerged as a promising tool for the bioconversion of organic waste. This study evaluated the waste reduction efficiency of BSFL reared on kitchen, fruit, and vegetable wastes and assessed the effect of larval density. Each waste type was subjected to four larval densities (450, 650, 850, and 1050 larvae), with larvae- free treatments serving as controls. Each feeding consisted of 700 g of waste, supplied every four days over a 20-day experimental period. Waste reduction efficiency was analysed using factorial analysis of variance and regression analysis. Larval density significantly affected waste reduction efficiency (F = 1218.08, p < 0.001), as did waste type (F = 948.65, p < 0.001), with a significant interaction between the two factors (F = 49.88, p < 0.001). Waste reduction generally increased with increasing larval density, although the magnitude of the increase differed among substrates. Fruit waste recorded the highest reduction efficiency at higher larval densities, while vegetable waste showed the greatest increase with increasing density. All larval-treated groups showed significantly greater waste reduction than larvae-free controls (p < 0.0001). These findings show that BSFL waste- reduction efficiency depends on both larval density and substrate type, highlighting the need to consider both factors when developing BSFL-based organic waste management systems.

Article History

Received: Mar 12, 2026; Accepted: Sep 27, 2026; Published: Sep 30, 2026

Recommended Citation

Attipoe, H. M., Adjei, Y. A., Asare, S. G., Opoku-Bamfoh, O., Appiah, G. B., Asundep, N. N., & Kwarteng, S. A. (2026). Evaluating Waste Reduction Efficiency of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) on Different Waste Types: A Comparative Study on Kitchen, Fruit, and Vegetable Waste, Journal of Bioresource Management, 13 (3).