It’s a perfect example of the emerging circular economy. The Dutch dairy industry is harvesting the power of poo with a $165 million biogas project. The process is simple: the dung is broken down by bacteria into biogas in an anaerobic digester. Other machines then extract nitrates and phosphates to make fertilizer, leaving organic matter, which is spread back on the farm. The project is masterminded by Friesland Campina, the country’s largest dairy collective which buys milk from 13,500 of the Netherlands’ 17,000 dairy farmers. The project has established an initial target of getting 1,000 large farms across the country to make power from cow manure within four years. Ultimately, all dairy farms in the country should be included in the program.
Dutch dairy farmers are turning cow manure into power on a big scale
More of Today's Solutions
Vision board ideas for adults: how to create one that inspires real change
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A vision board might look like a crafty throwback to childhood afternoons spent collaging. But don’t write it ...
Read MoreIndia’s social experiment: how paying women directly reshapes welfare, autono...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Across India, millions of women now receive a modest but unwavering deposit each month into their bank accounts. ...
Read MoreNew Zealand’s groundbreaking shift to renewables promises massive emiss...
New Zealand launched its most ambitious emissions reduction initiative to date in an incredible undertaking. The government announced a historic switch from coal to ...
Read MoreGoing for the goal: the impact of team sports on boosting young girls’ ...
In a pioneering study, the Here for Every Goal report demonstrates that team sports, particularly elite women's soccer (referenced from here on in this ...
Read More
