Calculators
Could biowaste become a business opportunity?
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae can turn suitable organic material into useful outputs. Start with a rough estimate, then discuss what the material, location and buyers would need.
Biowaste business potential
Describe the material, choose a biowaste type and enter the monthly amount and current disposal cost. The calculator gives a first impression under adjustable assumptions—not a precise forecast.
Biowaste business potential
An illustrative starting point, not confirmed performance or prices. All outputs start as assumed saleable; adjust Advanced and check the material, local rules and buyers.
What this estimate includes
Bioconversion with purchased starter stock, live larvae and wet residue at the facility gate. Prepared material is gross biowaste minus rejects; supplementary ingredients and water correction are not modelled. Breeding, drying, packaged products, starting investment, finance and tax are excluded.
Biowaste types select illustrative wet conversion and selling-price assumptions, not measured performance or verified market prices. Wet residue starts at 30% of prepared wet material. All outputs are assumed saleable until adjusted in Advanced; material tests, local rules, product quality and buyers still need checking.
USD throughout. Current disposal cost is potentially avoided spending, not income paid to the operator. Country context and climate change the running-cost allowance only. They are broad scenario adjustments, not country-specific cost data.
Start with the material
Advanced · adjust the assumptions
Changing biowaste type replaces its conversion and two prices; other edits stay. A higher wet conversion ratio means fewer harvested larvae. The category-linked prices are simplified discounts, not evidence of product grades.
A first impression
Under these assumptions—not a feasibility decision or profit forecast. Figures are rounded; the outlook uses the unrounded estimate.
Detailed monthly figures and calculation basis
Running cost = gross monthly tonnes × baseline allowance × country factor × climate factor, plus additional monthly costs. Developing ×1; developed ×2. Tropical ×0.8; average ×1; cold ×1.4.
The combined opportunity adds operator cash balance and the producer's potential disposal-cost difference. A fee between them cancels, so it is not counted twice. The outlook excludes investment and depreciation; the separate operator result below includes depreciation only when entered.
Outlook bands compare the combined opportunity with cash running cost: at least +50% looks very good; +15% to below +50% looks good; −15% to below +15% is a close call; −50% to below −15% doesn't look good; below −50% looks very difficult. These are screening bands, not probabilities.
Material
- Gross monthly biowaste
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- Rejects
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- Prepared material
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- Harvested live larvae
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- Wet residue
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- Unassigned wet-mass difference (not measured emissions)
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Value and running costs
- Assumed external product value
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- Known product-value subtotal (incomplete)
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- Cash running-cost allowance
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- Current producer disposal spending
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- Candidate producer cost including retained costs
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- Potential producer cost difference
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- Combined opportunity before investment, depreciation and tax—not operator profit
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Separate operator perspective
- Live-larvae sales value
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- Wet-residue sales value
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- Live larvae assumed sold
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- Wet residue assumed sold
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- Waste-service revenue
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- Gross-biowaste purchase cost
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- Operator cash balance (excludes producer disposal savings)
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- Operator result after entered depreciation
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- Operator break-even cash waste fee
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- Operator break-even fee including depreciation
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Discuss these numbers with Manna
Promising, uncertain or difficult: every result can start a useful discussion. Review the numbers, edit the summary and add it to your enquiry. Only submitting the contact form sends it.
An estimate is not a quotation, investment forecast or confirmation that the inputs or outputs are legally suitable. Material tests, site costs, product quality and buyers need checking. Manna helps evaluate and develop facilities; it does not collect waste or run them.
Turn assumptions into a case to test
Manna can help establish the material, process, site requirements and routes to buyers. Use a first estimate to identify the next questions, not to replace a feasibility study.