Industrial Symbiosis in Insect Production—A Sustainable Eco-Efficient and Circular Business Model
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Goal and Scope Definition of the A-LCA (ISO 14040)
2.2. Inventory Analysis (ISO 14044)
2.2.1. Inventory Flows
2.2.2. Scenario Analysis
- Agricultural by-products were sourced dry (DMslurry = 88%, DMbran = 88%) from a starch manufacturer located 40 km away and transported by truck;
- Hence, additional water was required to mix the agricultural by-products and obtain a BSFL feed substrate with the same DM content as in the symbiosis model;
- Electricity was sourced from the French grid (standard renewable energy to fossil resources ratio);
- Heat was sourced from a gas furnace instead of using waste energy, steam, and warm slurry as in the symbiosis model.
2.3. Impact Assessment (ISO 14044)
2.3.1. Methodology and Indicators
2.3.2. Environmental Impact Calculation
- -
- The impact of wheat slurry was adjusted to consider the cancelation of the drying step of the process as wheat slurry was supplied wet (15% DM) in the symbiosis model;
- -
- The impact of electricity was adjusted to account for the use of at least 80% wood waste in the wood biomass turbine, as required by CREII certification;
- -
- No impact was associated with the waste energy and heat captured from the wheat slurry nor with the transport of starch by-products in the symbiosis model as the latter are conveyed between partners through a direct pipeline;
- -
- Finally, for wheat bran and wheat slurry, the replacement of nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium (NPK) mineral fertilizers by insect frass considered the NPK profile of the frass as well as the wheat NPK intake from mineral sources necessary for its growth. Based on the NPK required to produce the wheat by-products and on the NPK content of the produced frass, it was assumed that the latter could replace 100% of the NPK fertilizer required to produce the wheat by-products used as BSFL feed. This was the only consequential effect considered in this A-LCA.
2.4. Sensitivity Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Environmental Impacts of the Symbiosis Model
3.2. Comparison of the Environmental Impacts of the Symbiosis and No-Symbiosis Models
- The use of wet agricultural by-products: In the symbiosis model, wheat slurry is received at 15% DM whereas in the no-symbiosis model it is dried up and received at 88% DM;
- The direct supply of by-products: In the symbiosis model, wheat bran and wheat slurry are directly delivered from the starch manufacturer to the insect production facility through a pipeline whereas in the no-symbiosis model the same by-products are transported by truck over a 40 km distance;
- Energy mix optimization: In the symbiosis model, the energy required to power the insect production facility is sourced from (i) the calorific capacity of the wheat slurry received at 80 °C, (ii) the calorific capacity of the water heated to 60 °C using the waste energy from the nearby wood biomass turbine, and (iii) the nearby wood biomass turbine itself; in the no-symbiosis model, the energy required to power the insect production facility is sourced from natural gas and electricity assuming the standard mix used in the French grid;
- The use of frass as fertilizer: In the symbiosis model, the produced frass is assumed to be spread on agricultural lands thereby replacing 100% of the required mineral fertilizers to produce wheat bran and wheat slurry (the only consequential effect taken into account in this A-LCA); in the no-symbiosis model, no consequential effect related to the use of the produced frass was accounted for.
3.3. Comparison of the Environmental Impacts of IM and IO with Their Alternatives
3.3.1. Comparison of IM and FM
3.3.2. Comparison of IO and VOs
3.4. Sensitivity Analysis
4. Discussion
4.1. Impact of the Innovative Symbiosis Model Compared to That of the No-Symbiosis Model
4.2. Impact Drivers and Scope for Improvement in the Symbiosis Model
4.3. Impact of IM and IO Compared to That of Conventional Feed Ingredients
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Climate Change | Fossil Resources Depletion | Land Use | |
---|---|---|---|
kg CO2 eq | GJ | m2.yr | |
Total of functional unit | 944 | 17 | 2179 |
Per fraction of the functional unit | |||
IM (1 t) | 57% | 86% | 86% |
IO (0.35 t) | 8% | 12% | 12% |
Frass (7 t) | 35% | 1% | 1% |
Per ton of insect product | |||
IM (1 t) | 536 | 9.39 | 1239 |
IO (1 t) | 218 | 3.81 | 503 |
Frass (1 t) | 47 | 0.02 | 2.59 |
Environmental Impact Indicator | Feed Intake | Environmental Impact Reduction | |
---|---|---|---|
100% | 90% | ||
Climate change (kg CO2 eq) | 944 | 856 | 9% |
Fossil resources depletion (GJ) | 17 | 15 | 10% |
Land use (m2.yr) | 2179 | 1969 | 10% |
Insect Species [Reference Source] | Indicators | ||
---|---|---|---|
Climate Change kg CO2 eq | Fossil Resources Depletion GJ | Land Use m2.yr | |
House fly larvae [21] | 770 | 9.3 | 32 |
House fly larvae [22] | - | 159.8–288.1 | 2790–5320 |
Mealworm larvae [23] | 3500 | 44.3 | 4680 |
Mealworm larvae [24] | 7100–7550 | 80.0–101.0 | 50 |
BSFL [25] | - | 13.4–64.06 | 10–40 |
BSFL [26] | 1240 | 1.5 | - |
BSFL [13] | 2100 | 15.1 | 50 |
BSFL [18] | 1360–15,100 | 21.2–99.6 | 32–7030 |
BSFL [present study] | 536 | 9.4 | 1239 |
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PhI, C.P.V.; Walraven, M.; Bézagu, M.; Lefranc, M.; Ray, C. Industrial Symbiosis in Insect Production—A Sustainable Eco-Efficient and Circular Business Model. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10333. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410333
PhI CPV, Walraven M, Bézagu M, Lefranc M, Ray C. Industrial Symbiosis in Insect Production—A Sustainable Eco-Efficient and Circular Business Model. Sustainability. 2020; 12(24):10333. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410333
Chicago/Turabian StylePhI, Chloé Phan Van, Maye Walraven, Marine Bézagu, Maxime Lefranc, and Clément Ray. 2020. "Industrial Symbiosis in Insect Production—A Sustainable Eco-Efficient and Circular Business Model" Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10333. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410333
APA StylePhI, C. P. V., Walraven, M., Bézagu, M., Lefranc, M., & Ray, C. (2020). Industrial Symbiosis in Insect Production—A Sustainable Eco-Efficient and Circular Business Model. Sustainability, 12(24), 10333. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410333