Rethinking what gets thrown away

Changing how we think about waste opens up many opportunities for innovation. For example, a project that repurposes sawdust manufactures a range of valuable, marketable chemicals, including those used to make the artificial sweetener, Xylitol. Other by-products are pine oil and cellulose fibres.

Using chicken-feather waste, products such as keratin powder for use as a protein can be made, along with other healthcare applications. The feather waste can also be used to make textiles, electronics and cosmetics.

Paper mill sludge and the fibres from waste tyres can improve the quality of green concrete, and paper sludge destined for incineration or dumping in landfills can also be used to make concrete.