Turning cow manure into useful cellulose
(Photo: UCL)
May 8, 2025 – Researchers from University College London (UCL) and Edinburgh Napier University have developed a new technique to convert cow manure into high-quality, industrial-grade cellulose fibres. The new cellulose material can be used in a huge range of products, from cling film to surgical masks, packaging, textiles, food and pharmaceuticals.
At the heart of the new method is pressurised spinning, a manufacturing technology that uses pressure and rotation simultaneously to spin fibres from a jet of liquid. The research is published in The Journal of Cleaner Production under the title ‘Harnessing cow manure waste for nanocellulose extraction and sustainable small-structure manufacturing´.
