Using insects to recover biodegradable waste

Project details

  • Main leader : NextAlim
  • Type of initiative : Individual initiative (company, etc.)
  • Périmètre : 80 km autour de Poitiers
  • Localisation : 2 Avenue Galilée, 86961 Chasseneuil
  • Date de début : janvier 1921

Economy circular topics

  • Industrial and regional ecology
  • Recycling
  • Eco-design
  • Sustainable procurement
  • Extending useful service life
  • Responsible consumption
  • Functional service economy
Description

Our mission is to recover biowaste using insects

NextAlim is the French pioneer in the use of insects for industrial-scale biodegradable waste recovery, producing oils and proteins for animal feedstuffs and green chemistry, as well as organic fertilizer for agriculture.

We design and operate production facilities that use insects to:

  • Process organic matter cleanly and efficiently to produce high quality fertilizer.
  • Produce insect derivatives for animal feedstuffs and biosourced products (proteins, oils, chitosan, etc.)

Our approach fits perfectly with a locally-oriented circular economy strategy, featuring production units that enhance the range of recovery options in a territory, providing a genuine route for recycling unfit food into components useful to the local economy.

Twin challenges: waste and protein

By 2050, the Earth’s population will have reached 10 billion! The FAO estimates that feeding the world will require protein production to be increased by 50%. Pressure on the planet’s natural resources is intensifying, and whole ecosystems are under threat, as evidenced by collapsing fish stocks and deforestation in tropical forests.

Meanwhile, one third of the food produced worldwide will never be eaten. There is waste at every stage of the chain: on the farm, in the food processing industry, at large- and small-scale retailers and catering organisations... and of course in our own kitchens. In addition to raising ethical issues, this waste represents and economic loss and an environmental source of concern because of excess nitrates in water reserves, algal bloom, etc.

However, in nature, many insects play a role in recycling nutriments: as they digest biowaste, they transform it into substances of use to plants, while themselves becoming a food of choice for other animals. By restoring this relationship, NextAlim is contributing to an international effort to develop insect-based technologies, and the company has become a French champion for industrial insect farming

Insect farming - A novel approach to food recycling

Our organic waste and food industry by-product recovery process uses saprophagous insects (meaning they feed on decaying matter) that provide benefits to humans by producing components for animal feedstuffs and industrial processes.

In our bioreactors, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae extract nutriments still present in organic matter and metabolise them into proteins, fats and other co-products. The residues from this digestion process form a saleable organic matter that can be used directly as an organic fertilizer.

This innovative process is a novel form of food recycling, offering an alternative to “energy” recovery (incineration or anaerobic digestion) and “organic” recovery (soil improvement). It is the only operational “materials” biowaste recovery process.

This French industrial-scale insect farming industry is a good example of the practical implementation of a circular economy in territories.

Qualitative benefits

  • Biodegradable waste recovery

Black Soldier Fly larvae are able to recover a wide range of biodegradable waste and food co-products (such as unsold supermarket produce, catering waste and rejected production from agribusiness processes).

  • Animal feedstuffs

Oils and proteins in BSF larvae are suitable for use in animal feed. They are a substitute for products such as fish meal or soy beans, respectively responsible for overfishing and deforestation in the Amazon and Indonesia.

  • Green chemistry

The oils, proteins and chitin found in BSF larvae can be used (replacing oil-sourced products) as constituent ingredients of numerous biosourced products, such as biofuels, intermediate chemicals and even certain speciality chemicals.

  • Fertilizer

Once digested by the larvae, the biowaste becomes a fertilizer with high agronomic value, suitable for use in organic farming.

Stages of the initiative

2013: Literature study and proof of concept

2014: Project planning and support from public authorities.

2015: Laboratory-stage development.

2016: Prototype development

2017: Pilot launch

2018: Industrial production

Driving forces:

  • 1: Pressure on raw materials
  • 2: Demand for biowaste recovery from the public and social institutions
  • 3: Need for more rational agriculture

Obstacles:

  • 1: Restrictive regulations
  • 2: Finance for innovative industrial projects
  • 3: Process industrialisation and optimisation

Areas of activity

  • Agriculture
  • Food
  • Chemistry
  • Recycling

Resources

  • Food
  • Biowaste
  • Chemicals
  • Material efficiency
  • Compost
Implementation

Technical resources

The facilities operated by NextAlim will enable profitable, ecologically viable production that also creates local jobs

Human resources

The nine members of the NextAlim team have a range of specialities, providing full-spectrum expertise in the fields of interest to NextAlim. The team is growing steadily.

Financers

  • CGI

  • ADEME

  • REGION

  • BPI

Funding

Following the Innov’3R regional call for projects, NextAlim sought funding from: -“FREE” regional funding for environmental excellence (ADEME energy and environment ministry / Regional Council) -PIA: programme d’investissements d’avenir (high-potential i
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Author of the page

Raphaël Smia

Co-fondateur

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