This week we sit down with Larry Kotch, CEO of Flybox, to explore how black soldier fly larvae can transform organic by-products into high-value protein and fertiliser (frass). Larry’s route to insects started at university, studying environmental governance and waste policy in South Africa. A dissertation on early insect operations “bit him by the bug,” but an entomologist steered him toward business first. After building a 40-person software agency, he returned to his original passion and co-founded Flybox to make insect systems practical for the waste sector.
Larry frames Flybox as insect waste management, not “insect farming.” Larvae are nature’s clean-up crew: in controlled, food-factory-style environments they eat organic material and, in around eight days, upcycle it into larvae (protein) and frass (fertiliser). Unlike linear “burn for energy” routes such as incineration or even AD, this approach keeps nutrients circulating—food becomes larvae, which become pet food and aquafeed ingredients, while frass returns to soils. The model is modular and highly automated: by-products are milled into a porridge (ideally ~70% moisture), dosed with juvenile larvae that Flybox supplies on subscription, grown at ~30°C, then sieved to separate larvae from frass. Outputs can be sold live, frozen, dried or defatted; Flybox can also buy back product via offtake.
Regulation shapes what goes in. In the UK/EU, Category 3 ABP rules prevent using post-consumer “black bin” food waste as feed; the focus is pre-consumer by-products. Other regions are more permissive (some even allow manures). Warmer climates lower energy needs, but feedstock reliability and logistics matter. Today’s strongest markets are premium pet food and aquaculture, with a long-term push toward mass fishmeal pricing as technology improves and organics policy evolves. Larry notes how subsidies and gate-fee dynamics for AD/EfW can distort feedstock economics; as “Simpler Recycling” and landfill/biodegradable bans bite, on-site circular options become more attractive—especially for producers whose by-products are now being turned away from AD.
Who’s adopting? Waste management companies (they control feedstock and need circular solutions) and food manufacturers/retail/distribution (seeking on-site treatment, lower costs, and “zero-waste” reporting—larvae turn a “waste” into a feed ingredient). In the UK, operators want low-labour systems, so Flybox leans into automation: robotic stacking/sieving, conveyors and climate control in modular “fly boxes” or warehouse-scale tunnels. Typical entry scale is 0.5–1 tonne/day, with the next-gen platform targeting 30–50 t/day sites. Operationally, dosing is critical—too few larvae and material remains wet and hard to handle; too many and you waste potential. Backup power and ventilation are designed in to keep conditions stable and odours controlled.
On perception and safety, Larry stresses there are no swarms of flies. Only a small breeding cohort matures; production larvae are harvested well before pupation. For householders wary of “maggots in the caddy,” he explains it’s usually down to flies laying eggs in poorly sealed bins or long storage times—good practice prevents it. Looking ahead, Flybox is completing a funding round to expand its Cheshire R&D/demo site, roll out Gen-3 for larger facilities, and move several active projects from design into construction.
Key takeaway: Insects aren’t a gimmick—they’re a credible, circular organics solution that can turn by-products into protein and fertiliser in just eight days. As policy and collection systems shift, modular insect units could help waste managers and food producers cut disposal costs, reduce emissions, and create products, not just energy.
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