[Aim]  To improve current methods of separating residual film, the main source of white pollution in farmland, from cotton debris. [Methods]  Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of 5 different decomposition inoculants (Lvlong, LL; Lvkang, LK;  Renyuanshengwu, RW; Nongfukang, NFK; Voto, VT) on residual film recovery from fermented cotton field waste that had been transformed and separated by the 3rd instar larvae of Protaetia brevitarsis. The residual film mixture was then screened in one of 4 different ways (manually, by vibration, wind separation or vibration plus wind separation) to determine the optimal decomposition inoculant and screening method. [Results] Adding decomposition inoculant and 40% cow manure promoted the fermentation of the residual film mixture. “Insect-microorganism” separation caused the residual film mixture to become stratified and granular, but the residual film harvest coefficients of each of the 5 treatments were basically the same. The RW, NFK and VT treatments resulted in the greatest larval weight gain and food intake, which were 58.93 to 60.71 g and 896.10 to 913.67 g, respectively. The VT treatment had the best larval conversion rate (66.03%) and larval dung-sand conversion rate (96.27%). The VT, RW and NFK treatments had the highest utilization rate of organic materials, ranging from 29.82% to 30.64%. Overall, the VT inoculant was the best. Manual screening achieved the highest screening purity rate, followed by vibration plus wind separation, with purity rates >91%. Vibration separation had the worst screening purity rate but also required the least screening time, followed by the wind separation method. The time required for manual separation was 2.48 times that required by the vibration plus wind separation method. Therefore, the vibration plus wind separation method was the best overall. [Conclusion]  VT is the preferred decomposition inoculant for cotton residue film recovery, and a combination of vibration and wind separation is the best screening method.