title: Community-Based Biowaste Circularity: Achieving Sustained Waste Management through an Open Free-range Black Soldier Fly Biowaste Treatment System
Creators: name: Chineme, Atinuke
Publisher: name: Graduate Studies
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Community-Based
subject: Black Soldier Fly
subject: Biowaste Treatment
subject: African Women Institutions
subject: Sustainable Waste Management
subject: Environmental Sciences
subject: Entomology
subject: Social Structure and Development
subject: Psychology--Social
subject: Engineering--Environmental

description: Sustainable waste management systems lack universal applicability, as technological solutions alone are insufficient to tackle all waste-related issues. Neglecting socio-cultural factors can impede effective and continuous waste management efforts, rendering technology counterproductive in this regard. Instances of abandoned waste treatment facilities lacking essential expertise and motivation serve as a testament to these failures (Oteng-Ababio et al., 2013). Cultural sensitivity is especially crucial in middle- and low-income communities and countries where relational values supersede transactional ones (Owusu-Ansah &amp; Mji, 2013). This study tried to tackle this challenge by answering the research question, how can a community-based female group that utilizes the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) treatment method achieve sustainable biowaste management? The research implemented an affordable, open Black Soldier Fly biowaste treatment system in peri-urban Tanzania, with a focus on assessing project longevity as a critical indicator of its success. Employing a mixed-method approach, the study combined quantitative analysis for technical and environmental evaluations with qualitative analysis for socio-cultural assessment. Technical evaluations included system implementation and comparison of outputs with existing literature. Over a 148-day study period, employing a localized circular economy model, the system processed two tons of waste, yielding 19.15 kg of Black Soldier Fly larvae (BSFL) (wet weight) and 201 kg of biowaste (dry weight), which were notably better than literature benchmarks. A comparative Life Cycle Assessment revealed environmental benefits such as reduced climate change (33%) and decreased water, land, and energy use (55%, 37%, and 32% reductions, respectively) compared to the ubiquitous closed Black Soldier Fly system. The biowaste treatment system was developed and operated collaboratively with a women’s community-based organization to enhance project localization and knowledge transfer. Gradual project ownership was established through a staged handoff process, thus easing the transition toward greater self-sufficiency as per the community group's request. The research emphasized the importance of conducting an extensive socio-cultural feasibility study before implementing a biowaste treatment system or any technology in low-income communities. While the technology demonstrated ease of use and effectiveness, sustained utilization required commitment from stewards, cooperation within the community group, an extended case study duration, iterative infrastructure design, and leadership endorsement.