From a circular economy perspective, the recovery and the bioconversion of organic food wastes mediated by the black soldier fly (Hermetiaillucens L.) offers worthwhile chances to build up bio-based supply chains starting from the H. illucens larvae and the residues of mass rearing. The larvae of H. illucens are sources of proteins for feed,lipids for biofuel and biolubricants, chitin for bioplastics, industrial and biomedical applications. The study describes the results of some trials realized within the HERMES project, aimed at separating the larvae of H. illucens from the rearing residues at the end of the bioconversion process. Fruit and vegetable wastes, in different proportions according to the availability of the local market, were periodically collected as feeding substrates of sixdays- old H. illucens larvae. At the end of the bioconversion process, when larvae reached the maximum growth, they were separated from the rearing residues using sieves of decreasing diameter (from 12 to 3 mm). Moisture content turned out one of the main factors for allowing a successful separation and required to be adjusted around or below 50%. © 2023 ETA-Florence Renewable Energies.