Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Flies often considered as source of disease can actually prove to be useful in waste management, said a scientist in Lampung, recently.
Agus Pakpahan, a scientist at Bogor Agricultural Institutte, has been testing on Black Soldier Fly (hermetia illucens) for waste management for the past few months.
Pakpahan said that with proper management, flies can produce high protein waste which has economical value as organic fertilizer.
“If from organic waste turned into fertilizer is common but from waste to produce high protein which will be beneficial for human is the newest element in the method,” he said adding that flies can reduce up to 80 percent of waste and do not leave bad odor.
These flies will eat waste and remaining waste will turn into larva or maggot. Adult flies will die and their carcasses can be used as fertilizers for plants, cosmetic products. Not only its larva or maggot, but its prekuvanya can be used as cattle and fish food. “It can increase protein in cattle which eventually consume by humans,” he added.
Furthermore, he said that the method was still in trial phase at Gunung Madu Plantations (GMP) sugar factory in Center Lampung since 28 April 2014 by using blotong [sugarcane waste]. “Using blotong is still new in Indonesia,” he said.
Gunamarwan, finance and general manager of GMP said that the factory produced 80 thousand tons of blotong during harvest season. They welcomed initiative to turn blotong, known as waste, to more resourceful material.
“Results of this method are proven to be able to increase nitrogen from 0.2 to 1.2 percent. In addition, lands have become more fertile and ground increased from 10 cm to 14 cm,” Gamawarman said. “Aside from blotong, we also encourage employees to separate organic and non organic waste. We will value their waste. It is not easy because we have to change their mindset that waste is also money.” Eni Muslihah