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Manure Products

Tons of cow manure that currently finds its way into local streams and groundwater could soon find itself taking on a more useful (and cleaner) role: replacing the sawdust used in fiberboard for furniture, flooring and shelving.

If the industry takes off (no, the products do not smell like cow patties), farmers could find themselves with a new source of revenue and fewer expenses. Instead of paying to dispose of excess manure, they could sell it to companies that turn it into household products.

Some say it’s unlikely consumers would be willing to allow flooring or shelving made from manure into their homes, but others say it’s totally safe, clean and meets or beats the quality of wood-based products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently launched a $30,000 study to test its strength and endurance and look at its economic feasibility.

Another benefit of manure-based fiberboard is that it would help reduce the amount of groundwater contamination caused by manure runoff. Researchers say roughly 1.5 trillion pounds of manure are produced in the United States each year.

Scientists have also found a way to use manure to produce clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Manure from dairy cows in the United Kingdom is fed into anaerobic digesters and converted to methane that powers generators to run the farms, reducing the amount of energy needed from coal-fired power plants.

For more information about this story, visit MSNBC.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org