Sherburn-in-Elmet - based recycling company MYGroup has joined forces with Fera Science Ltd of Sand Hutton, Near York.

The strategic partnership is focused on using the larvae from the black soldier fly (BSF) to break down food and other organic waste through a process called insect bioconversion.

BSF bioconversion is a circular, sustainable recycling process, with the potential to divert organic waste material from landfill, reduce the associated greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the carbon burden of waste disposal, while also moving such waste up the hierarchy to resource recovery.

While MYGroup has separately experimented with the use of BSF over a number of years and has brought an Insect Protein Meal product made from BSF to the aquatic feeds market, the new partnership represents a significant scaling up of the company’s waste management capabilities, reinforced by Fera’s industry-leading expertise in insect bioconversion and uncompromising quality standards.

The two companies will collaborate on future R&D, including breeding, rearing, as well as quality and safety testing, with Fera also supporting MYGroup in harnessing two byproducts produced by the BSF larvae during the insect bioconversion process.

These byproducts come in the form of extracted proteins, which can be used for animal and aqua feeds, and ‘frass’, a nutrient-rich substance containing the excreta from the BSF larvae that can be used as a natural, organic fertiliser, as well as a substrate for anaerobic digestion.

Separately, MYGroup will use frass produced through the BSF bioconversion work with Fera for a separate Government-funded research project initiated with the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) at the University of York to trial the production of biohydrogen.

Steve Carrie, Group Director, MYGroup, said: ‘We are honoured to be working with Fera and calling on their renowned expertise in insect bioconversion to propel our combined expertise to the forefront of insect-based waste management.

“The process is inherently scalable and circular – just another example of MYGroup’s unwavering commitment to shifting the dial from waste as a disposable burden to a renewable resource.”

Dr Maureen Wakefield, Principal Scientist and Project Lead for Fera’s Insect Services, said: ‘The work being undertaken here between MYGroup and Fera is vitally important in highlighting the benefits of insect bioconversion to a wider audience. Fera is committed to helping companies understand the organic waste streams within their supply chains, providing them with the research and support to achieve their Net Zero and Sustainability goals.’

The two companies have already completed trials for processing a number of waste types using BSF and a new breeding and processing facility is currently under construction at MYGroup’s ‘The Maltings’ food waste recycling facility in South Milford.