Dung-Done: How Cow Pats Could Soon Clothe You

• SCIENTIST UNVEILS THAT Second-Hand Clothes Are 'Teeming With Germs'

With the constant cycle of fast fashion leading to massive amounts of waste, numerous individuals are seeking ways to reduce their clothing collections' environmental impact.

Currently, researchers have discovered an innovative method to produce garments at lower costs and with reduced environmental impact.

Researchers from University College London London (UCL) has discovered a method for converting cattle manure from agricultural sites into cellulose fibers, which can then be interwoven to create textiles.

However, before you dismiss this remarkable achievement in 'poop engineering,' the researchers claim that the end result does not carry the distinctive odor associated with its unconventional source material.

Cellulose is a naturally occurring fiber present in the walls of plant cells; however, it finds applications ranging from items like cling film and edibles to medical face masks and fabrics.

Although it can originate from natural sources, this essential substance is frequently produced artificially using hazardous chemicals.

In the meantime, farms across the globe are finding it difficult to manage the vast piles of animal waste generated by increasingly large groups of cows.

As per the research documented in The Journal of Sustainable Development , converting cow dung into textiles might be a clever approach to address both of these problems.

Creating fibers from cow dung is feasible since the waste material includes small pieces of cellulose remaining from their plant diet.

These tiny fragments can be extracted from the dung, leaving behind all other impurities.

The senior author, Professor Mohan Edirisinghe, states: "Obtaining the particles from feces was fairly simple through the use of gentle chemical processes and homogenization, converting them subsequently into a liquid form."

This liquid is subsequently transformed into fibers via a method known as 'pressurized spinning'.

This is a fairly standard manufacturing process in which jets of liquid are shot out of a spinning drum.

By adjusting the pressure of the jet and the rotational speed, this technique can be customized to produce fibers, beads, ribbons, meshes, or films according to specific needs.

At first, Professor Edirisinghe and his team were unable to make the dung solution create fibers during the spinning process.

Through a process of experimentation, they discovered that positioning the rotating drum sideways and directing the jets into water led to the formation of fibers.

"We're not entirely certain how this process functions, yet what matters most is that it proves effective," remarks Professor Edirisinghe.

For the first time, scientists have succeeded in converting cow manure into fibers suitable for industrial-grade cellulose production.

This creates an opportunity for converting unused agricultural waste into various valuable items such as clothing.

Professor Edirisinghe informed MailOnline: "In essence, you can create cellulose fibers, and I don't foresee any issues with transforming these into a mesh and subsequently turning them into garments."

He says, "I don't detect any odor, and you can't determine its source just by observing it."

The scientists claim that increasing the production of fibers from their current device could be readily achieved.

In the future, this could potentially benefit both cattle farmers and textile producers alike.

Studies indicate that the volume of animal waste generated by farms globally is expected to rise by 40 percent from 2003 to 2030.

Over the coming five years, agricultural sites might generate a minimum of five billion tons of livestock waste annually, often resulting in an excess surpassing their needs for fertilizer usage.

The first author, Yanqi Dai from UCL, states: "Cow dung and other dairy farming wastes pose an environmental and human hazard due to their contribution to waterway contamination, emission of greenhouse gases during decomposition, and dissemination of pathogens."

'Proper disposal frequently becomes a heavy burden for farmers as well.'

Rainwater washing over dairy farms can carry manure with it, potentially causing farm waste to end up in nearby water supplies.

This may lead to severe impacts on the environment, including creating toxic algal blooms This can eliminate local wildlife and pose a health risk to humans.

This innovation allows farmers to convert manure into valuable resources, which might encourage improved waste handling practices and offer a sustainable supply of material for fabrics.

Professor Edirisinghe states: "The key factor for environmental preservation is developing natural substances derived from flora or fauna."

'Heaps of manure are posing an environmental risk. In a way, this turns waste into resources.'

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