South China city plans fly farm for garbage disposal

The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is planning a black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) farm to help rid the city of its kitchen waste, local authorities told Xinhua on Sunday.

The fly larvae raised at the farm are expected to eat 200 to 400 tonnes of rubbish each day, according to the urban management commission of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.

The farm will be located in Chini Town under Huadu District and will mainly process garbage produced by the city's restaurants and household kitchens, the commission said.

China's rapidly growing cities have faced a pile-up of household waste, and traditional disposal measures such as landfills and incineration have faced increasing concerns over air and soil pollution.

Researchers say the fly larvae have shown prowess in dealing with organic waste, including food leftovers and animal dung. The larvae are also rich in protein and can be made into medicine and animal feed.

Zhang Xing, an official with the recycling cooperative of Huadu District, said local researchers have mastered the use of insects for restaurant waste disposal and are working to apply it to family kitchen waste. Endit