LSU was recently named a recipient of the 2020 Sustainability Innovation Award by APPA, a national education facilities association previously known as the Association of Physical Plant Administrators.

APPA’s Sustainability Innovation Award recognizes unique and innovative sustainable practices in educational facilities and campus environments. It was introduced in 2012 to reflect APPA’s Sustainability Statement, which encourages the creation and maintenance of a sustainable campus environment.

Soldier Fly Technologies was born out of a research partnership between Fluker Farms and LSU Entomology. In 2019, LSU Campus Sustainability awarded the joint venture a $60,000 grant to support the implementation of a food waste upcycling program on campus using black soldier fly larvae.

With no commercial food composting options available, this collaboration is key to helping LSU reach its Sustainability Strategic Plan goal to divert 75 percent of all waste from the landfill by 2030.

Learn more about how LSU’s dining hall food composting pilot program is works.

Devon Brits, LSU Entomology PhD candidate and lead researcher for Soldier Fly Technologies, is thrilled to see his school’s sustainability program come to the forefront nationwide.

“We are really happy that through continued collaboration and hard work, we have been able to create a solution that is making an impact. We hope to further expand our efforts to help LSU reach its waste diversion goals and be an example for other universities to do the same,” said Brits.

Fluker Farms and Soldier Fly Technologies would like to congratulate everyone with LSU Campus Sustainability on this award and thank them for their dedication to the project.

Meet the Soldier Fly Technologies Team and learn more about our mission.