Scientists Turn Fly Carcasses Into Biodegradable Plastic

Facts

• Findings presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society show that the carcasses of black soldier flies could be harvested to produce biodegradable plastic in an attempt to produce bioplastics from organic waste products to stem plastic pollution.¹
• Head researcher Dr. Karen Wooley of Texas A&M University collaborated with Dr. Jeffrey Tomberlin, a leader in black soldier fly farming. While the nutrient-rich larvae are invaluable for animal feed, the researchers attempted to find a use for the adult flies, which are typically discarded.²
• The researchers found that the flies are rich in a sugar-based polymer called chitin, which helps strengthen the shells and exoskeletons of insects. While chitin is already harvested from some crustaceans, the black soldier fly chitin seemed to be more purified.¹
• A graduate student in Dr. Wooley's lab was able to convert the chitin into a polymer known as chitosan, which makes the material useful for the creation of bioplastics, including water-absorbing hydrogels.³
• The researchers were able to produce a chitin hydrogel bioplastic that could absorb 47 times its weight in water in just one minute. Hydrogels could be placed in cropland to absorb water that could later be released during periods of drought, with the added benefit of biodegrading and adding nutrients to the soil.⁴
• The team is now working towards converting chitin into small sugar molecules that can be made into bioplastics. Dr. Wooley hopes to create proof of an end-to-end bioplastic program, where insects could consume waste plastics before they are in turn harvested.⁴

Sources: ¹The Guardian, ²Earth, ³Phys, and ⁴IET.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Atlantic. While this is no doubt a promising development, there is currently a lack of infrastructure to properly handle biodegradable plastics. Most bioplastics wind up in a dump, and many can only degrade in a controlled composting setting, meaning these efforts could be all for naught if the right conditions aren't in place. For now, we should focus less on single-use plastics and more on changing our single-use mindset.
• Narrative B, as provided by Forbes. This discovery is another leap forward in our fight against plastic pollution on many fronts. The plastics industry now has the potential to use an agricultural waste product to create a circular, self-sustaining supply chain for a product that is safe for the earth and bypasses the petrochemical industry. New advances are being made at record speed, as we inch closer towards finding a truly clean plastic.