Exploring the role of Black Soldier Fly Larva technology for sustainable management of municipal solid waste in developing countries

Abstract A rapid increase in population causes quantitative municipal solid wastes (MSW) in Pakistan, leading to serious public health and environmental impacts. Pakistan has social and environmental issues due to poor and inadequate waste management. Moreover, solid waste in Pakistan is 2.4% per year and 0.283 to 0.612 kg/capita/day. While the new scheme focuses primarily on waste collection and transportation, but the recovery rate is 68%. Insufficient waste collection and disposal would pollute the air, water, and soil that may cause a public health risk. The main techniques for waste disposal used in Pakistan include composting, landfilling, open dumping, incineration, anaerobic digestion, etc. However, these approaches are not ecological and cost-effective. The black soldier’s fly technology (BSF) effectively and biologically breaks down diverse biodegradable wastes under sub-tropical conditions. Most people worldwide use BSF larvae to degrade biodegradable matter, especially in tropical and developing countries. BSF innovation has a high potential to cope with the current challenges related to inadequate reliable waste management infrastructure as Pakistan has favorable environmental and climate conditions. It is also capable of fostering regional growth, creating jobs, and local recycling of degradable waste. Black soldier fly larvae technology is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method because of its quick transition rate, good sustainability, and low cost-effectiveness compared to existing and other operating technologies in Pakistan. Organic waste becomes not only useful after being processed by BSFL but also produces high-value eco-friendly goods. This review highlights the role of BSFL for waste management, its benefits in Pakistan under the current environmental condition, and the biodegradation of various organic wastes under subtropical conditions. In this study, different kinds of practices used in Pakistan for waste management, including open dumping, landfilling, incineration, and anaerobic digestion, were compared.