JAKARTA (22 February 2023) -- From waste to benefit. Now, waste is not a material that must be discarded, but can be converted into a source of revenue.

This thought is echoed by Zaelani (28).   Every day, he feeds the poultry with maggots, larvae that consume garbage. The man who once made a fortune on the streets is now a member of the organic waste processing group at "Pangudi Luhur" Integrated Center (STPL) in Bekasi.

"This is the trash food that the maggot consumes from the BSF fly cage over there," he explained, pointing to the maggot cultivation site.

BSF is the Black Soldier Fly, which generates larvae and maggot embryos, and has the ability to process the bioconversion of organic waste and degrade waste more rapidly. In addition to being used to produce organic compost, the larvae can also be fed to poultry and fish.

For beneficiaries at STPL in Bekasi, maggot cultivation is both a choice of skills and an opportunity for entrepreneurship (PM). Waste processing alternatives include maggot cultivation, both for STPL in Bekasi and for waste from the "Handayani" Center in Bambu Apus, Jakarta.

"As a result, we gather trash here, as well as trash from Bambu Apus. Then we sort out which ones are wet and which are dry, including our leftovers "He said this when we convened at STPL in Bekasi on Tuesday (21/2).

According to Zaelani, the STPL in Bekasi has a designated location for BSF cages. The BSF will then deposit eggs, which will hatch into larvae three to four days later. "We disposed of the larvae in the chopped, wet garbage. Later, the larvae will consume garbage until they turn into maggots. After fifteen days, maggots are ready to be harvested. One maggot harvest can yield 30 to 40 kilograms "He explained.