As industries look towards sustainable and environmental-friendly ways of production, a US-based start-up Mango Materials has started to make bio-based clothing fibers from methane which can then be used to replace the plastic in packaging and the polyester in clothing.
Although the methane used in this process has been captured from landfills and sewage plants, soon, the gas may directly be collected from cows -- a major producer of the greenhouse gas.
“We can use many forms of methane because methane is the key component in natural gas, but it’s also produced from waste processes like wastewater treatment plants, landfills, agricultural facilities, and abandoned coal mines,” Molly Morse, co-founder and CEO of Mango Materials said in a recent interview with Geosphere Packaging.
“So we can use this waste methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas, to feed the bacteria to produce PHA. That’s what makes Mango Materials unique.” PHA is a biodegradable biopolymer that can be used to make clothes.
Speaking of the environmental problems that Mango Materials can address with the production of PHA, Morse added, “We are addressing two problems: One, that of waste methane — what are you going to do with it? And two, the persistent pollution of plastics, when they’re improperly disposed of or when they’re no longer needed.”
But, Mango Materials is not the only company that may look towards cows for their source of methane. There are other companies that are already experimenting with face masks for cows that catch their burps in an attempt to reduce methane emissions.
Read more: Jersey cow gives birth to calf with three eyes; villagers call it avatar of Shiva
Face masks designed by Zelp, a UK-based company, are said to reduce methane emissions from cattle by 60 per cent.
The mask fits comfortably on a cow’s head and has a zip-tie-like mechanism that allows it to be adjusted to various cattle’s head sizes depending on the breed, reported Wired. The mask sits next to the nostrils and captures methane from their belches and burps.
“Around 95 per cent of the cattle’s methane emissions come from their nostrils and mouths,” stated brothers and co-founders Francisco and Patricio Norris. “The technology detects, captures and oxidises methane when it is exhaled by the animals.”
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