Wastewater has already been used to make beer.
Now, a research team from the UK is focusing on how to make cow dung contribute to the circular economy. Cellulose fragments were extracted from dried manure using a salty liquid and an organic sulphur compound.
Turning them into fibres was more complex and involved adapting a previously developed technology called pressurised spinning. Liquid holding the cellulose fragments was injected into a spinning container through nozzles.
Using a horizontal rather than vertical vessel did the trick. The process requires less energy than conventional extraction techniques and the fibres can be deployed in various ways. In sustainable batteries, for instance.
Whether baby kangaroo faeces will ever be used remains to be seen…
