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The flies have moved into what’s being playfully called a “wellness retreat” – that’s how Energesman employees describe the new, temporary home of their houseflies. Following the fire at the Vilnius waste sorting facility, fly larvae bred on household kitchen waste have been relocated to the Chemical Ecology and Behaviour Laboratory (CHEEL) at the Nature Research Centre (NRC), part of the State Research Institute, where they will remain under the care of scientists until the facility’s infrastructure is restored. Fortunately, the colony of Musca domestica – specially imported from the Netherlands for organic waste processing – has been preserved.

This pioneering solution for managing kitchen waste in the Vilnius region recently attracted international attention: the BBC published a feature on this Lithuanian innovation, highlighting the use of fly larvae to process kitchen waste. You can read the full article here.

Favourable conditions for survival and research

“Shortly after the incident, we moved the flies and their larvae to the NRC CHEEL lab, where they have adapted well. Scientists are now ensuring they have suitable conditions to survive and thrive until we’re able to bring them back to the facility. This period also provides valuable opportunities for observation and research,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of Energesman.

In the lab, scientists are carefully managing reproduction to avoid overpopulation. Cooler temperatures are used to slow the development of the pupae, or puparia, ensuring population stability rather than rapid growth.

“Most puparia – also called cocoons or ‘beans’ – are stored at lower-than-normal temperatures to slow down their development and preserve the existing population. The same applies to adult flies and larvae – we maintain a cooler environment to support a stable colony,” explains Gabriele Bumbulyte-Zukeviciene, PhD candidate at the NRC and a researcher working with the colony.

Currently, puparia are kept at 6°C, while adult flies and larvae are maintained at 18°C. Once the larvae reach the puparia stage, they are moved to cooler conditions to further slow development.

Tailored habitats for every species

At CHEEL, each species is kept in a separate space to ensure that their unique environmental needs are met. According to Bumbulyte-Zukeviciene, the houseflies and larvae from the waste sorting facility have a dedicated environment where temperature, humidity, and food supply are carefully controlled.

Flies are housed in special enclosures equipped with food and water sources, egg-laying substrates, and temperature controls that support their natural life cycle. Eggs are routinely collected and moved through the growth stages. Once larvae reach the puparia stage, they are either returned to the breeding cycle or stored to maintain population continuity.

“Until now, we’ve been feeding the flies and larvae with standardised, balanced feed to ease the transition to the lab environment, but we’re now preparing to introduce food waste and test additives that improve nutritional value,” adds Bumbulyte-Zukeviciene.

Market-ready innovation

Earlier this year, Energesman publicly introduced one of Europe’s most innovative solutions for processing household kitchen waste: breeding fly larvae on food scraps collected in orange bags from Vilnius county residents.

After being shredded and mixed with water, the contents of the orange bags were processed into an organic feedstock for the larvae. Once grown and dried, the larvae were intended for use in the production of biofuels and protein-based industrial materials – including paints, furniture, adhesives, and lighting – while the leftover biomass served as fertiliser or fishing bait.

Energesman invested EUR 1 million into bespoke larval rearing equipment designed in the Netherlands specifically for Vilnius needs. An additional EUR 1.1 million was invested by the regional waste management centre, VAATC, into automated systems for unpacking the orange bags and cleaning the food waste, preparing it for larval processing.

Return to facility in sight

“The equipment for processing food waste was not damaged – only covered in soot. We’re currently repairing one of the fixed sorting lines and working towards fully restoring factory operations, including larval rearing,” says Blazgys.

The full facility is expected to be operational again later this year. Scientists note that the fly colony is ready to return at any time – their stay at the lab is only temporary. It also offers researchers an opportunity to study the species and ensure its continuity.

“The most important thing is that the flies survived and have retained their potential,” says Bumbulyte-Zukeviciene.

At the Vilnius Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) facility operated by Energesman, mixed and organic waste from across the region is again being processed – currently with mobile equipment, while preparations are made to rebuild the plant.

 

Vilnius region is among the global frontrunners in using fly larvae to process kitchen waste – and this is precisely why our innovation is now featured by the BBC. Journalist MaryLou Costa highlights our experience in managing household food waste in the Lithuanian capital in one of the world’s most recognised news outlets.

As the article notes, similar initiatives do exist globally, but they are typically small-scale – for instance, private projects handling food scraps from a single hotel or apartment building.

“Our pilot deliveries of larvae have already begun – with partners in the paint, glue and furniture sectors,” shared our CEO, Algirdas Blazgys, in the interview.

Key takeaways from the article:

• We’ve already produced prototype lamp shades and paint batches using our larvae. The paint technology is still being refined to achieve the right colour, but the lamp shades have turned out remarkably well.

• We continue to collaborate with universities, supplying fly larvae for research and for use in bacterial cultivation.

• Our technology will enable the Vilnius region to save up to EUR 2 million annually – we do not charge municipalities for collecting and processing food waste from residents.

Our goal for next year is ambitious: to process 12,000 tonnes of kitchen waste. To help us get there, we encourage residents to separate food waste and use the orange bags provided – we’ll ensure the waste reaches the larvae!

Read the full article on the BBC website.

The operator of the Vilnius Regional Waste Sorting Plant, UAB Energesman, has fully resumed its operations. Two mobile sorting lines are now functioning in a temporary area within the company’s premises. With these facilities, the company is once again processing 100% of the region’s regular household waste – all municipal waste is being redirected to this plant, with no further support from external operators required.

The plant and its equipment were insured to the maximum extent accepted by insurers. The insurance company BTA Baltic Insurance Company is currently assessing the damages.

Waste collection restored

“Our team worked tirelessly, even through the nights, to set up the mobile lines, calibrate shredders, and prepare for the handling of mixed waste. Both mobile lines are now fully operational – waste is being sorted, shredded, and biodegradable materials are being separated. We have also resumed operation of the drying tunnels in the unaffected part of the plant, where the sorted waste is dried,” said Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of Energesman.

Gradually, waste transportation was restored from all eight municipalities in the Vilnius region. It is now being delivered according to the usual schedule. On average, the facility processes 800 tonnes of waste per day – the same volume as before the disruption.

Initially, the waste from Vilnius City, Vilnius District and Elektrenai Municipality was prioritised, followed by waste from other regional municipalities.

The mobile equipment will continue to be used until the fixed infrastructure of the plant is fully restored.

Insured to the extent allowed

According to Blazgys, the facility was insured. However, due to previous incidents in waste management plants and the heightened associated risks, insurance providers declined to offer full fire risk coverage.

The best available insurance solution obtained by Energesman was approved by the plant’s owner, UAB VAATC, as acceptable.

The plant is currently insured by AAS BTA Baltic Insurance Company. The mobile equipment (e.g., loaders, lorries), certain fixed installations, and other entrusted assets have been insured for their replacement value. Additionally, environmental liability, civil liability, and other risk categories are insured – to the extent accepted by the insurers.

The insurer is currently evaluating the claims and determining the compensation to be paid to the company.

Annually, Energesman paid over EUR 100,000 in insurance premiums. Some policies expired in May, and upon renewal, premiums have nearly doubled.

Repairs underway on fixed equipment

Repair works on the stationary equipment are already in progress. One of the plant’s lines sustained only minor damage; its motor, conveyor system, and gearboxes are being replaced, after which it will be restarted.

Most of the plant’s handling equipment – loaders, excavators, and trucks – was unaffected and is fully operational. Only one loader was lost. The condition of other sorting lines and machinery is still under assessment.

The technologically advanced glass sorting equipment – which could detect fragments as small as 10mm, as well as separate plastics, paper, and other materials – is currently non-operational. As a result, the recovery of secondary raw materials is temporarily reduced.

The operator had already been implementing innovations at the plant. Earlier this year, in cooperation with Lithuanian software company Softeta, an AI-based solution was developed and tested to automatically identify and count orange bags, glass containers, Tetra Paks, and other waste types.

“The system is cloud-based, so it remained entirely unaffected. Once the sorting lines are restored and cameras reinstalled, it will resume operation. A demo of the tool is already available on our website,” added Blazgys.

Support from partners

According to Blazgys, the company’s partners and equipment suppliers have offered support and prioritised the replacement or restoration of equipment.

“We are committed to rebuilding a more advanced and modern facility that ensures even more efficient waste sorting and recycling. We are actively discussing this with VAATC and the municipalities of Vilnius and the surrounding region,” he said.

“We currently operate the most cost-effective and efficient MBA sorting facility in the country. With further modernisation, we aim to achieve even better results and continue to offer the most favourable waste sorting conditions for Vilnius region residents. Our processes are optimised, and we are constantly exploring ways to transform waste into new products and added value,” said Blazgys.

Arson investigation inderway

The fire at the waste sorting plant was extinguished on 28 April. The Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office has established an inter-agency task force to investigate the cause of the incident, including the possibility of arson.

Suspicion was raised by a hole discovered in a reinforced concrete wall within the sorting tunnel. One of the main theories is that the damage was caused deliberately. The company has also launched an internal investigation to examine all related circumstances.

The arson theory is further reinforced by a series of fires at other waste facilities across Lithuania in May.

The MBA facility operated by Energesman in Vilnius processes approximately 220,000 tonnes of mixed and food waste annually. The company has extensive experience in managing mixed waste and has built a strong innovation team.

This facility receives municipal waste from across the Vilnius County region, comprising eight municipalities: Vilnius City, Vilnius District, Trakai, Elektrenai, Ukmerge, Svencionys, Salcininkai, and Sirvintos.

We have launched an internal investigation into a suspected case of sabotage at a waste treatment facility under our management. A hole was discovered in a wall made of reinforced concrete, located in a tunnel where improperly disposed waste is stored. One of the leading hypotheses is that the damage was caused by a deliberate explosion.

“During one of the inspections, we found a large section of concrete torn from the wall. The structure is made of specially reinforced concrete, so we ruled out the possibility of a fire caused by lithium batteries – the facility was not operating at the time, and the waste had not been exposed to any such factors. No incendiary materials were found during the investigation either. We are pleased that our concerns were taken seriously and that a dedicated team of prosecutors and investigators has been appointed,” said Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of our company.

According to Blazgys, the nature of the damage and the available evidence suggest that the fire was the result of a deliberate act. Unfortunately, it is not particularly difficult to conceal an explosive device within waste material.

At the facility, all batteries are manually removed from the sorting lines before the automated sorting process begins.

We adhere strictly to fire safety and environmental regulations and maintain active cooperation with fire and emergency services. The most recent inspection of the facility was carried out on 10 March this year, with no violations recorded.

In response to a series of recent fires at waste management and recycling facilities, an inter-institutional investigation team has been established to determine their causes.

“We have cordoned off the suspected explosion site to prevent any further damage, as investigators will be arriving shortly to collect samples necessary for their ongoing enquiry,” added Blazgys.

We are expecting prompt and transparent answers – both for ourselves and for the public.

As a reminder, the fire at the waste sorting facility we operate broke out on the morning of 27 April in a tunnel containing improperly discarded waste. The fire primarily affected two sections of the plant, as well as part of the area where mixed municipal waste is delivered and unloaded prior to sorting. Two other sections, located in the eastern part of the facility, remain unaffected – and our priority is to resume waste management operations in these areas as soon as possible.

We are preparing to resume operations as early as this week in the section of the facility that was not affected by the fire, pending approval from the relevant authorities. Preliminary assessments indicate that approximately half of the buildings at our serviced facility remain undamaged. The unaffected area primarily handled biodegradable and household food waste, which accounts for roughly 40% of the waste processed at the site.

The remaining waste – around 60% – is planned to be managed at a temporary site within the facility’s grounds. A proposal to this effect has been submitted today to the Vilnius Regional Waste Management Centre, Vilnius City Municipality, other local municipalities, and relevant institutions. If approved, mobile equipment would be deployed for waste treatment, with operations at the temporary site expected to begin as early as May.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the firefighters, environmental officers, police, municipal and ministerial representatives, and all waste management professionals involved – their swift and coordinated response ensured the fire was brought under control quickly and has paved the way for a prompt resumption of operations. We can be justly proud of the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by Lithuania’s public services during this challenging time,” said Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of Energesman.

At present, specialists from the Fire and Rescue Department and the Environmental Protection Department are on-site conducting a detailed inspection to determine the cause of the fire and to evaluate the extent of the damage.

Initial findings suggest that two buildings and a section of the facility where mixed household waste is unloaded and sorted sustained the most damage. However, two buildings located in the eastern part of the site were not affected and will be the first to see activity restored.

“Our entire team is ready to resume work as soon as power supply is reinstated – we hope it will happen within the next few days. Over the next several weeks, we aim to scale up operations at the temporary site to near-full capacity, ensuring that residents of the Vilnius region experience no disruption in waste services,” added Blazgys.

Once the consequences of the fire have been fully addressed and the situation assessed by experts, we plan to begin reconstruction of the facility without delay.

The fire broke out on Sunday morning at the waste sorting facility. While investigations are ongoing, initial reports suggest the fire may have been caused either by arson or by hazardous waste – such as scooter batteries or household chemicals – being improperly disposed of in general waste. Such materials should never be placed in mixed waste containers and must instead be taken to designated e-waste or hazardous waste collection points.

We are proud to be among the world’s first industrial facilities to implement the use of fly larvae in the treatment of green kitchen waste. To help encourage residents of the Vilnius region to more actively separate their food waste, influencers Brigita Uyar and Vaida Kurpiene recently visited our plant to see the process up close.

During their visit, they explored how kitchen waste from eight municipalities in the Vilnius region is processed. They were introduced to the equipment used to treat food waste and orange waste bags, and learned how we transform these materials into new products for use in industry, agriculture, and even fishing.

“I spent two full hours at the facility – it was absolutely fascinating! From the waste processing systems to the fly breeding centre, including the egg-laying stations – everything was cutting-edge. I could do an entire podcast about it. I’m always excited about innovations that support circularity and environmental sustainability. Now I truly understand that sorting food waste is worth it,” shared Vaida Kurpiene, a nutritionist and influencer, on her personal Facebook page.

We gave the influencers a full walkthrough of the facility – from the arrival of orange bags, to the separation of kitchen waste from the general stream, to the cultivation of fly larvae and the exploration of end-product applications. Their tour began at a 27-square-metre container that houses around 6 million flies.

This container is connected to a special egg-laying device that attracts flies to deposit their eggs – with each fly capable of laying up to 30 eggs. The eggs are then transferred to a dedicated larvae-rearing system. This tank is filled with organic matter derived from Vilnius residents’ kitchen waste, which becomes feed for the larvae. We estimate that processing one tonne of green kitchen waste can generate up to 90 kg of larvae.

We have invested EUR 1 million in larvae-rearing equipment tailored to the specific needs of Vilnius residents.

The influencers also observed the operation of our orange bag unpacking and sedimentation systems. These machines automatically prepare the larvae feed and remove impurities. The system blends the orange bags, their contents, and water, achieving up to 99% purity in the resulting organic mass.

We also shared our plans for utilising the larvae. Household kitchen waste still contains 30–40% proteins and fats, which we aim to recover through larvae cultivation. Preliminary agreements are already in place for producing protein-rich materials and oils for industrial applications – potentially for use in paint, solvents, and furniture production. The residue of the larvae can be repurposed as agricultural fertiliser, while the organic mass can also be used to produce biomethane.

Vilnius region generates around 40,000 tonnes of green kitchen waste annually, but only about 2,700 tonnes are currently sorted into the designated orange bags. Together with our visiting influencers, we urge all residents to take responsibility for properly sorting their food waste into these special bags and disposing of them in mixed municipal waste bins. We’ll take care of the rest!

Check the influencer‘s posts on Facebook and Instagram.