In this research three waste scenario’s for polystyrene plastic are analysed and compared from an environmental perspective. Incineration, recycling and biodegradation by mealworms (Tenebrio Monitor Linnaeus) of polystyrene are to be compared through a gate to grave Life Cycle Analysis. This LCA is conducted through the International Standard Organisation, 14040 Standard. The biodegradation facility is non existing and based on assumption backed up by peer reviewed literature. Incineration and recycling are based on facts and figures from national authorities and supplemented and peer reviewed literature. All three processes are analysed using IPCC Global Warming Potential (GWP) 2013 GWP 100a &amp; 1.03 ReCipe 2016 Midpoint (H) 1.02 within SimaPro 9. Results show that the biodegradation of polystyrene by mealworms is inferior to the two already existing methods of recycling and incineration from an environmental perspective. The environmental preference of recycling or incineration cannot be clearly defined. From an energy perspective (GWP) recycling is highly preferred over incineration. From ReCiPe 2016 methods incineration is highly favourable compared to most impact categories. However results are not likely to represent realistic values valid today due to lack of (accurate) data within this LCA. It is unlikely that without supplemented data results from this research can be used in any form. Nevertheless this lack of information shows the need for further investigation on biodegradation by mealworms. / <p>2020-06-05</p>

Insects have been proposed as a sustainable alternative to livestock to help feed the growing population. Edible insects such as mealworms require less land and resources and can utilize food by-products to grow. While insects are consumed by over 2 billion people worldwide, they are not widely accepted in developed countries like the United States because of their unfamiliarity and the perception of disgust associated with entomophagy. The objectives of this research are to 1) grow mealworms using carrot pomace and determine an optimum diet for growth and nutritional composition, 2) identify and classify early adopters of insects, and propose a product form, and 3) assess the acceptability of frozen, ready-to-cook mealworms with early adopters. A response surface design was used to evaluate the use of carrot pomace in various percentages in the substrate and as the moisture source in a mealworm growing system. Mealworms were grown under controlled conditions in a climate chamber until they began to pupate, and statistical models were fitted to predict mealworm mortality, weight, days to pupation, protein content, fat content, and moisture content. An algorithm in Design Expert was used to optimize mealworm growth based on maximizing mealworm weight and minimizing mortality and days to pupation, and the optimum diet was found to be 36% carrot pomace in the substrate with carrot pomace as the moisture source. Early adopters of insects were identified through a survey using Red Jade Sensory Software. Participants were segmented using partitioning around medoids clustering algorithm based on responses to questions on willingness to consume insects in a variety of forms. Four segments were identified: No-thank-you’s, Hideaways, Daredevils, and Peekaboo’s. Daredevils, Peekaboo’s, and Hideaways are early adopters of insects in the nonvisible form, and Daredevils and Peekaboo’s are also early adopters of insects in the visible form. Based on these insights, frozen, ready-to-cook mealworms were selected to target Daredevils and Peekaboo’s as a product to serve as a sustainable alternative to traditional livestock protein. Participants from each of the four segments were shown a video of mealworm cooking and asked their willingness to buy the product and the motivation behind their response. The majority of respondents were unwilling to buy this product, driven by unfamiliarity and the perception of disgust. However, over half of Daredevils were willing to buy the product, driven by the novelty and ease of preparation. Marketing a product towards this group may be a feasible route for entry into the market and increase the familiarity of edible insects, thereby contributing to long-term acceptability.

In needing to create a better and more sustainable future for our world, changing our diet and finding a  sustainable ‘protein of the future’ is one of the necessary steps we must take. This thesis explores the relatively fresh, but not unheard of, concept of using food waste to rear mealworms for human consumption, in the Swedish context. It talks about why we should switch our protein source and how we can do it, by taking the reader step-by-step through the process of producing alternative proteins, and the various scales it can happen. The thesis is written from a waste management perspective and argues for viewing food waste as a resource, by utilising said resource to meet the demands of alternate systems (i.e. growing alternative protein sources), thereby closing the loop. Interviews are combined with literature in such a way that the two compliment each other to make up for missing information, as the subject matter of using food waste to rear insects is still quite fresh and not discussed at great length in literature, especially in the Swedish context. The overarching theoretical point of departure comes from Bill Mollison’s and David Holmgren’s permaculture principles of design, which argues for a holistic view on production, consumption, the environment and just generally how we choose to live our lives. The thesis recommends that a good starting point in rearing insects with food waste, is through community initiatives and discusses how this is possible to achieve. The author hopes that this thesis can be used as a guide, whether it is used by a private individual, an interested group or community, or even municipal actors, to achieve a more sustainable future, and help change the norm of our waste, going to waste. / För att skapa en bättre och mer hållbar framtid är en förändring i vår kost genom att hitta ett hållbart alternativt protein, ett av de nödvändiga stegen vi måste ta. I denna studie undersöks det relativt nya men inte helt okända konceptet att använda matavfall för att föda upp mjölmaskar för livsmedelskonsumtion, i en svensk kontext. Studien diskuterar varför vi bör ersätta vår nuvarande proteinkälla och hur vi kan göra det. Läsaren guidas steg för steg genom processen att producera alternativa proteiner och de olika skalor det kan göras i. Studien är skriven ur ett avfallshanteringsperspektiv och argumenterar för att matavfall ska ses som en resurs som kan användas för att möta efterfrågan på alternativa system (det vill säga alternativa proteinkällor) och därigenom sluta cirkeln. Intervjuer kombineras med litteratur och kompletterar på så sätt varandra och fyller i kunskapsluckor, eftersom ämnet att använda matavfall till uppfödning av insekter fortfarande är relativt nytt och inte diskuteras i särskilt stor utsträckning i litteraturen, särskilt inte i Sverige. Den övergripande teoretiska utgångspunkten kommer från Bill Mollisons och David Holmgrens permakulturprinciper, som argumenterar för en helhetssyn på produktion, konsumtion, miljö och i stort hur vi väljer att leva våra liv. Studien rekommenderar att en bra utgångspunkt för uppfödning av insekter med matavfall är genom samhällsinitiativ och den diskuterar hur detta kan uppnås. Författaren hoppas att denna studie kan användas som en guide, oavsett om den används av en privatperson, en intressegrupp eller till och med av kommunala aktörer, för att uppnå en mer hållbar framtid och bidra till att ändra synen på vårt avfall, till att det ses som något mer än enbart avfall.