Indian start-up company makes products from cow dung that can replace particle boards, plastic

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 1 (ANI): Gandhinagar-based Dungse Labs is trying to use cow dung as a high-quality sustainable building material which will replace particle boards and plastic.
This company creates various products including acoustic panels with cow dung. Dungse Labs is a startup company that makes products including bioplastics with cow dung. They have built biodegradable composites that can replace virgin wood, particle boards and plastic.
The Head of R-D at Dungse Labs, Sonika Pulluru said that using cow dung, our biodegradable building products can replace virgin wood, particle boards and plastic.
"Dungse Labs is a material design and material innovation startup based out of India and the Netherlands. We have developed bio-based and biodegradable composites out of cow dung. We have also developed bioplastic out of cow dung. Our ultimate goal for this year is to set up micro-factories across India wherever surplus cow dung is available. We are based out of Gandhinagar currently and also the Netherlands," she said.
Several startups from animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries sectors showcased their innovative products and solutions at an exhibition- the Grand Startup Conclave held here on Tuesday.
The conclave was organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board, Startup India, CII and Telangana Animal Husbandry Department.
She further said that Dungse Labs would like to do with the cow dung of India what Amul has done with the milk of India.
Speaking about the future plans for the initiative, she said, "We have developed composites and have got the tests done with our material. Now, we want to scale up the material. So, to scale up the material and also create a decentralized economy across India, we would like to set up some micro factories across different regions of India."
She further said that the company is planning to set up a pilot factory probably in Gujarat now, and then plan to take it to the rest of India.
"We have developed around 16 composites excluding dunk Plastics now. The acoustic panel sample here is a product which we are planning to scale up and take out soon in the market," she added.
However, talking about the 'Grand Startup Conclave on Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Exhibition', she said, "It is really great because one of the biggest drawbacks we always get is that cow dung is important as manure and it should go back to the fields and should not be used for any other purposes or given any second life."
"However now while I am interacting with farmers since morning, I got a good understanding of how much surplus dung is available and how much we can make use of it. We have got some really interesting data and also got to talk to a lot of people over here in the conclave including the farmers. The conversations were really great and I have got to learn a lot from the farmers and other people here," she added. (ANI)