Mass-Rearing of Insects on Food Waste to Produce Chitosan—A Bio-Based Plastic Alternative

Abstract

Mass-rearing of insects is being promoted to meet demands for sustainable sources of livestock and pet feed, protein, oils, pharmaceutical precursors and more. Here, we describe an industrial symbiosis, in which insect mass-rearing is based on food waste, and chitin extracted from insect exoskeleton is converted into chitosan and used to generate alternatives to conventional plastic materials—hereafter referred to as “chitosan bio-based plastics”. If so, challenges associated with synthetic plastic production, plastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions associated with landfill waste and food waste management may be mitigated simultaneously. Such industrial symbioses align with at least 10 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Chitosan is a biodegradable, non-toxic polymer with potential use in a range of disposable plastic applications. We describe characteristics of chitosan, the global chitosan market, how chitosan can be modified into different types of bio-based plastics, and we highlight challenges and constraints.