Tiny manufacturers: How black soldier flies are turning food waste into valuable products

Manufacturing News

In a world where manufacturing typically conjures images of sprawling factories and complex machinery, a tiny six-legged workforce is quietly revolutionising production processes at Southern Cross University. Black soldier flies, the unassuming insects with appetites twice their body weight, are being harnessed as nature’s manufacturing plants to transform food waste into valuable resources, researchers revealed…

New study shows we can create value from food waste by turning it into a highly desirable material – nanocellulose

Analysis and Commentary

By Alan Labas, Federation University Australia; Benjamin Matthew Long, Federation University Australia, and Dylan Liu, Federation University Australia Food waste is a global problem with approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted each year throughout the food lifecycle – from the farm to food manufacturers and households. Across the food supply chain, Australians waste around…

Here’s how wastewater facilities could tackle food waste, generate energy and slash emissions

Analysis and Commentary

By Melita Jazbec, University of Technology Sydney; Andrea Turner, University of Technology Sydney, and Ben Madden, University of Technology Sydney Most Australian food waste ends up in landfill. Rotting in the absence of oxygen produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. While some facilities capture this “landfill gas” to produce energy, or burn it off to…