Effective waste management in communities is a key link in achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. In this regard, Meisha Carbon-Neutral Community has spearheaded the on-site recycling of kitchen waste. Vanke Foundation introduced the innovative approach of kitchen waste processing by black soldier flies: These tiny black soldier fly larvae can consume kitchen waste 200,000 times their weight in just 8 days. It is a cakewalk for them to process 200 kilograms of kitchen waste daily at the Dameisha Vanke Center. Black soldier fly larvae help the center reduce 64.7 tons of CO2e annually, equivalent to planting 647 trees. They are the community’s rock stars for carbon reduction.

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Insecta: Diptera: Stratiomyidae), is a quiet, clean insect that offers an amazing skill: it converts and decomposes organic waste such as animal manure and kitchen scraps. Research has shown that for every ton of kitchen waste they consume, black soldier flies produce around 200 kilograms of fresh insect protein and 250 kilograms of insect frass. This helps us effectively process China’s kitchen waste, which features a high oil and salt content. In November 2019, the Dameisha Vanke Center introduced equipment and services for breeding black soldier flies to process kitchen waste ecologically and on-site.

The larvae consume kitchen waste and produce frass, which, when mixed with fallen leaves and branches through fermentation for 28 days, generates fertile black soil. The “nutrient soil” acts as natural organic fertilizer, nourishing plant growth in rooftop gardens in the community. Thanks to the black soldier flies, 100% of kitchen waste at the Dameisha Vanke Center is now recycled on-site, with a capacity to process 73 tons of kitchen waste annually. The center produces 50 kilograms of insect frass, which is used for composting in the community or directly utilized for fertilization. Every day, 40 kilograms of black soldier fly larvae are produced, with some used as feed for pond fish and the rest processed and distributed as animal feed after freezing.

In 2023, Vanke Foundation founded the Net-Zero Carbon Science Museum jointly with the Yantian Administration of the Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau and the Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau of Yantian District. This facility can process up to three tons of kitchen waste daily, with an estimated annual reduction of 970.5 tons of CO2eq, equivalent to planting over 7,000 trees. It advances the on-site recycling of organic waste in the community, reduces carbon emissions generated during waste transport and processing, and helps Yantian District and Shenzhen achieve their carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals with pioneering practices. In addition, Vanke Foundation worked with Huazhong Agricultural University and Jichuan Communication for the release of the Black Soldier Fly Picture Book, raising public awareness about the environmental impact of kitchen waste, the positive role played by black soldier flies, and their potential in industries such as agriculture, animal feed, and bioenergy. The picture book is now recommended to the public as a popular science publication through pilot community projects such as the Dameisha Vanke Center and Beijing Vanke Xishan Courtyard, as well as government departments, private companies, social organizations, schools, and more.