From biogas plant to value creation centre: new ways of recycling food waste

In the food industry, strategic decision-makers and sustainability officers are faced with the constant challenge of finding efficient and sustainable solutions for the utilisation of organic waste. Traditionally, this waste has often been sent to biogas plants – a process that generates energy but is often costly and not optimal in terms of resource utilisation. An innovative alternative now offers the possibility of not only disposing of this waste in a holistic approach, but actively converting it into valuable products and thus creating a genuine value creation centre.

Instead of utilising food losses, by-products and waste in biogas plants to generate energy, SmartBreed offers an innovative and higher-quality alternative: the nutritional upgrading of insect products through upcycling. This method makes it possible to effectively utilise all the nutrients contained in the waste streams and thus produce high-quality products.

In contrast to simple fermentation in biogas plants, where mainly the energy content of the biomass is used, SmartBreeds technology utilises the full potential of food waste. By converting them into insect products such as proteins, oils and fertiliser, the entire nutrient content of this waste is recycled. This type of upcycling not only leads to a more effective use of existing resources, but also contributes to a significant increase in the value of the original waste products.

SmartBreed thus enables a more comprehensive and sustainable form of recycling that goes far beyond conventional waste utilisation and makes a significant contribution to the circular economy.

The switch from conventional waste disposal to value creation offers numerous strategic and long-term advantages. Firstly, it significantly reduces disposal costs as it eliminates the need for transport and processing in external facilities. Secondly, it creates new sources of income through the production and sale of insect products such as high-quality protein, oil and fertiliser from the processed waste.

Transformation from costs to revenues

This innovative approach transforms food waste from a cost factor into a potential source of revenue. By using advanced technology to rear soldier fly larvae, organic waste is efficiently converted into useful insect products. This opens up new markets and sales opportunities, for example in the animal feed industry or in agriculture.

Integration into the circular economy

The strategy fits seamlessly into the concept of the circular economy. By converting waste into useful insect products, the cycle of resources is closed. This not only helps to reduce the environmental impact, but also supports the company’s sustainability goals. The use of residual streams from food production also minimises dependence on external sources of raw materials and thus promotes food security.