Challenge:
Greenhouse growers in Ontario face significant challenges in managing organic waste. Traditional waste management methods, such as landfilling and composting, are costly and environmentally unsustainable
Solution:
The Bugs-4-Rent™ system, developed by Infinite Harvest Technologies, is a closed-loop system that leverages Black Soldier Fly larvae to convert organic waste into valuable by-products, such as protein and frass, efficiently handling greenhouse waste, including fruits, vegetables, leaves, stems, and plastics
Impact:
The system produces 80% lower CO2 emissions compared to landfilling and 60% less compared to composting while saving growers waste costs and tipping fees and potentially offering new revenue streams
Greenhouse growers in Ontario face significant challenges in managing organic waste, particularly end-of-cycle vine waste. Traditional waste management methods, such as landfilling and composting, are costly and environmentally unsustainable. Growers are looking for efficient, cost-effective solutions to handle the large volumes of organic waste produced annually.
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland), working with an industry group and industry partner and agri-technology business Infinite Harvest Technologies (IHT), collaborated to pilot IHT’s Bugs-4-RentTM system, a groundbreaking approach to organic waste management.
The closed-loop system utilizes Black Soldier Fly larvae to convert organic waste into valuable by-products, such as alternative proteins and frass (the excrement of insect larvae). The system operates on a 10-day cycle and can process up to 10 metric tonnes of greenhouse waste per month. It requires minimal space, power, Wi-Fi, and water access, making it a feasible option for greenhouse operations.
“We’ve achieved incredible milestones: we’ve ordered new equipment, registered a patent, established a reliable insect supply chain, completed a comprehensive carbon lifecycle analysis, and closed our initial investment round.”
– Tamara Lockwood-Ortiz, Infinite Harvest Technologies
Organic waste management is a major issue for the greenhouse vegetable industry, collaboration with a significant portion of the vine, leaf and fruit grade-outs ending up in landfills. The pilot and demonstration of the IHT Bug-4-rent systems at Vineland’s farm enabled greenhouse growers and industry stakeholders the opportunity to see their technology in action. With about 50% of greenhouse grade-outs being landfilled, this new system by IHT demonstrates a more sustainable solution by using these by-products as a feedstock for black soldier fly larvae and transforming it into a value-added ingredient.
There was a great deal of interest and excitement at the demo day around the potential for Vineland and the Bugs-4-RentTM system innovation. Insights from industry consultation and stakeholder feedback can be used to guide its commercial development.
Through this work, the Bugs-4-RentTM technology garnered significant interest and positive feedback from growers and industry experts. Key benefits of the technology and system include reduced environmental impact, cost savings, and improved waste management. The system produces 80% lower CO2 emissions compared to landfilling and 60% less compared to composting. Growers can save on waste transport and tipping fees, with the potential to offset costs through the sale of outputs. The system efficiently handles various types of greenhouse waste, including fruits, vegetables, leaves, and stems, with and without plastic contamination.
The investment of project funds for this small, Ontario technology business came at the perfect moment and has helped IHT grow at a critical point in the technology’s development and testing. Tamara Lockwood-Ortiz explained, “We’ve achieved incredible milestones: we’ve ordered new equipment, registered a patent, established a reliable insect supply chain, completed a comprehensive carbon lifecycle analysis, and closed our initial investment round.”
The Bugs-4-RentTM system represents a promising solution for sustainable organic waste management in the greenhouse industry. As a result of this project, there is positive feedback on the potential of the new technology from both growers and industry stakeholders. By converting waste into valuable by-products and reducing environmental impact, this innovative technology has the potential to transform waste management practices and support the industry’s sustainable growth.
This project was made possible by funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, through the Niagara College-led Greenhouse Technology Network.
Visit Vineland Research and Innovation Centre’s website to learn more about its resources and capabilities.
