![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The demand for collagen is rising at approximately 20% annually and global collagen-based biomaterials market is predicted to reach US$5 billion by 2025. Ĭollagen is a highly sought-after protein, finding use in regenerative medicine, in cosmetics, used as casings, in supplements, films, pharmaceuticals, as a precursor to biodegradable materials, for use in tissue engineering and more recently in 3D printing. The collagen molecule is a triple-helix comprised of three distinct alpha chains of repeating units of (GLY-X-Y) N amino acids, where X is often proline and Y is often hydroxyproline. Hence, bovine hides contain an abundance of collagen. Bovine hides are rich in the valuable protein collagen, especially in the corium layer of the skin.Ĭonsidering the high cost of collagen and the vast number of applications and industries it can be of value, a more sustainable and a waste valorisation option would be to recover as much collagen as possible from hide off-cuttings.Ĭollagen is a structural protein, which provides strength, stability, and flexibility and is a major constituent of the skin tissue. At best, the hide off-cuttings and shavings are converted to animal feed providing little or no economical or sustainable value, despite their content in valuable biopolymers. These are currently disposed of in landfill sites and they have high landfilling costs per mass unit due to their low density and present low compaction ability. Hide off-cuttings, shavings and finished leather scrap are generated as waste in tanneries. Specifically related to the meat industry are tanneries and rendering plants, which process bovine and cattle hides for leather and fat production. The meat industry constitutes many by-products, which are under-exploited, from which a large number of valuable proteins, fats and chemicals can be derived from. Waste valorisation is one method of managing waste in a sustainable manner and in return deriving a high-value product. It is adversely affecting health, contaminating our air, landscape, fresh water and ocean life. It is projected to rise to 6.1 million tonnes per day by the year 2025. The world’s population produce an astounding 3.6 million tonnes of municipal solid waste each day. With an increase in world’s population, one of the most concerning problems the planet is currently experiencing is the cumulative waste from various industries. Increased environmental awareness has led researchers to find alternative solutions to replace petroleum-based materials in a sustainable manner. ![]()
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