Nation where beetles help combat trash build-up scourge

In the far-flung Colombian highlands, beetles are the secret weapon in an innovative project to combat the ever-growing problem of trash build-up.

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Here, larvae of the enormous rhinoceros beetle eat through piles of organic garbage that would otherwise end up in polluting landfills.

But that's not all. The larvae poop is gathered and sold as fertiliser and when the beetles reach adulthood, they are sold as pets to clients as far afield as Japan.

"The beetles have the answer to rubbish disposal," said environmental and health engineer German Viasus, who runs the project in Colombia's central Boyaca region.

The concept is simple, cheap and, Viasus believes, an example that would be easy to replicate elsewhere in the world.

Each week, his facility in the city of Tunja receives about 15 tons of waste generated by some 40 000 inhabitants of neighbouring municipalities.