By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – Can you imagine how many feathers are accumulated when chickens you eventually feast on are slaughtered?
While watching the slaughter of chickens, Filipino scientist Menandro Acda was likely thinking of this when he realized the potential use of chicken feathers that are often considered waste in the poultry industry.
Chicken feathers are often incinerated. But the burning can cause environmental problems, according to Acda
“Millions of kilos of waste feathers are generated each year by commercial poultry processing plants resulting in serious solid waste problem,” added Acda who is a professor from the University of the Philippines Los Banos.
Faced with the abovementioned environmental problem, Acda began his study, dubbed “Recycling chicken waste feathers for low-cost building material,” in 2007. He experimented on mixing cement with eight to ten sacks of waste feathers, which he collected from a food company, and consolidated them using a hydraulic press to create 10” x 10” panel boards.
Designed for non-structural application, the panel board can be used for insulation in low-cost housing and warehouses, Acda said.
The composite panel boards (feather fiber and cement) are decay-resistant, unlike commercial panel boards (wood fiber and cement) that are often susceptible to termites. He explained that the feather contains keratin, which the termites cannot digest.
Acda said his study is currently looking into “optimizing” and increasing the strength of the composite panel board.
Acda's study, which is geared towards helping the poultry industry and the construction industry by reducing wastes and creating new material, earned him a financial grant from Ford's Ecogrants Program last year.
“Our participation does not end at financial support. We actively involve ourselves in ensuring the success of these worthy projects,” said Ford Group Philippines president Rick Baker.
Here is my video interview with Dr. Acda.
MANILA, Philippines – Can you imagine how many feathers are accumulated when chickens you eventually feast on are slaughtered?
While watching the slaughter of chickens, Filipino scientist Menandro Acda was likely thinking of this when he realized the potential use of chicken feathers that are often considered waste in the poultry industry.
Chicken feathers are often incinerated. But the burning can cause environmental problems, according to Acda
“Millions of kilos of waste feathers are generated each year by commercial poultry processing plants resulting in serious solid waste problem,” added Acda who is a professor from the University of the Philippines Los Banos.
Faced with the abovementioned environmental problem, Acda began his study, dubbed “Recycling chicken waste feathers for low-cost building material,” in 2007. He experimented on mixing cement with eight to ten sacks of waste feathers, which he collected from a food company, and consolidated them using a hydraulic press to create 10” x 10” panel boards.
Designed for non-structural application, the panel board can be used for insulation in low-cost housing and warehouses, Acda said.
The composite panel boards (feather fiber and cement) are decay-resistant, unlike commercial panel boards (wood fiber and cement) that are often susceptible to termites. He explained that the feather contains keratin, which the termites cannot digest.
Acda said his study is currently looking into “optimizing” and increasing the strength of the composite panel board.
Acda's study, which is geared towards helping the poultry industry and the construction industry by reducing wastes and creating new material, earned him a financial grant from Ford's Ecogrants Program last year.
“Our participation does not end at financial support. We actively involve ourselves in ensuring the success of these worthy projects,” said Ford Group Philippines president Rick Baker.
Here is my video interview with Dr. Acda.
filipino ingenuity continues to amaze me!
WOW ! Thats fantastic, Now is the time to think about such things. It is the need of the time wherein we are finding the solutions to recycle the waste material. I will definetely refer it to few of the chicken suppliers and manufacturers of low cost building material here in India.
Cheers to the green and clean environment.
where is this company located? It is good idea, for the environment. I would like to visit this company.
Can I know what's the ratio and proprotion of cement to the chicken feathers? I had an experiment before back in college wherein we used junkfoods bags.
hi readers! thank you for reading this blog :)
@ Theda- Prof.Acda used different ratios of cement and chicken feathers (60/40, 80/20. 70/30) vice-versa.
@Gerry-What company are you referring to? The food company? Prof. Acda works in the University of the Philippines Los Banos.
Another great discovery by my great fellowmen!
Duh those details are confidential and subject to IPR rules. Theda, go proceed with your won experiment.
mabuhay po!
staffer po ako ng aming school paper!
ahhmm..>
gusto ko lang po malaman kung paano ko po makakusap c mr.menandro acda?
salamat po
gudpm sir. ask ko lng po kung paano makokontact si Mr. Menandro Acda for some purposes lng po for the thesis i really need lng po thanks good day
Do you have any more info on this?
I really apreciate yourposting it's realy informated for me hope you always update more often and share to us what you know. Thanks
hello po sir. .can i ask po kung wat po ung ratio? by weight po ba or by volume? di po ba masyadong magaan ung feather, so marami tlaga ung kailangan..
thanx..
What a great idea for an article! Thank you for the awesome suggestion.
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The composite panel boards (feather fiber and cement) are decay-resistant, unlike commercial panel boards (wood fiber and cement) that are often susceptible to termites. He explained that the feather contains keratin, which the termites cannot digest
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He explained that the feather contains keratin, which the termites cannot digest.
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where is this company located? It is good idea, for the environment. I would like to visit this company.
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Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!
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We need to follow certain rules and regulations to avoid these kind of situations, thanks.
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Yes, an ingenius way of using chicken feathers. Way to go, what an invention. Huskies for Sale
heh I love inventive people. heh who would have thought of this way of using chicken feathers. good job! same day payday loan or no credit check
Very interesting article. Content has been written in very nice manner. I enjoy reading this kind of stuff. Thanks for sharing good knowledge.
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Thanks for making such a cool project. I've been checking the site for the Windows version, but I never left a comment about it. I know you are working hard and doing it for free so you shouldn't feel rushed or anything.
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