SINGAPORE: Recycling chicken feathers and by-products is among new processes developed by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and poultry producer Leong Hup, as part of an effort to create the world’s first facility zero-waste poultry processing plant in Singapore.
These poultry waste recovery processes were developed under a research collaboration agreement signed in March, NTU and Leong Hup said in a press release Tuesday (July 5).
A “key innovation” is the use of chicken feather keratin as a material for egg trays, serving as biodegradable replacement for synthetic polymers.
It is also a greener alternative because the production, use and disposal of synthetic polymers results in greenhouse gas emissions, as these polymers are made from petroleum oil.
“Each year, billions of kilograms of unwanted chicken feathers are discarded by poultry processing plants,” NTU and Leong Hup said, adding that this byproduct is usually either buried in landfills or incinerated.
Director of NTU’s Food Science and Technology program Professor William Chen said the project demonstrated that feathers can no longer be considered waste.
“The use of chicken feather fibers in composite materials is a new source of materials that can be economical, environmentally friendly and recyclable,” added Professor Chen, who is also co-leader of the research collaboration.
The process begins by washing chicken feathers in distilled water and detergent to remove contaminants such as blood stains and oil. They are then dried at room temperature for four days and cut with a grinding machine.
Feather fibers and unsaturated polyester resin are mixed together and placed in glass molds and kept in a fume hood for a day.
The end result is a material that is more durable than synthetic polymer alternatives.
Lab tests revealed that the material made from chicken feather keratin could withstand nearly twice the force exerted on it, compared to conventional plastic trays used to hold chicken meat, NTU and Leong said. Hup.
CULTURE CENTRE
The research collaboration also developed a method to convert biological waste from poultry farming – such as blood and bone – into an alternative, cost-effective culture medium that could be used to grow cell-based meat.