By Faridat Salifu
What was once a climate and public health headache may soon power the next wave of sustainable manufacturing.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) have unlocked a new frontier in circular bioeconomy innovation: transforming cow manure into nanocellulose—a high-performance, biodegradable material with wide industrial potential.
Manure, long viewed as an unavoidable by-product of dairy farming, has typically been a liability. It emits potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide, pollutes waterways, and spreads disease.
Beneath the mess, however, lies a hidden asset—partially digested plant fibers rich in cellulose, a material essential to everything from packaging to medical supplies.
Traditionally, cellulose production involves cutting down trees and heavy chemical processing, both costly and harmful to the environment. UCL’s team, led by Professor Mohan Edirisinghe, is flipping that model.
Their new method extracts nanocellulose directly from cow dung, creating an eco-friendly material while reducing waste and emissions. The work was published in The Journal of Cleaner Production.
Using a low-energy technique known as horizontal nozzle-pressurized spinning (NPS), researchers spun cellulose into films, fibers, and meshes without the usual industrial hazards.
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The breakthrough came after shifting from a vertical to a horizontal injection process—simple, yet crucial for consistent fiber formation.
“The science is still catching up with why it works,” said Edirisinghe, “but the process is stable, scalable, and clean.”
The resulting nanocellulose is remarkably strong, flexible, and biodegradable—qualities that position it as a serious contender in multiple industries. Stronger than steel by weight, it’s an ideal component in composite materials, sustainable packaging, and even energy storage and biomedical devices.
This marks more than a technical win—it’s a blueprint for systemic change. By turning agricultural waste into a manufacturing input, the UCL team is advancing a circular bioeconomy, where waste streams feed production cycles rather than landfills and atmospheres.
Lead researcher Yanqi Dai underscored the significance: “This is more than a waste management solution—it’s a potential new revenue stream for farmers and a cleaner supply chain for manufacturers.”
Of course, scaling won’t be without challenges. Logistics around manure collection and transport must be addressed, and industry buy-in will take time. But the potential is vast.
With global manure production expected to surge 40 percent by 2030, this innovation could play a vital role in sustainable development strategies.
Now, the researchers are seeking dairy farm partners to help refine and deploy the technology on-site—bringing the circular bioeconomy from lab to land.
