Gomaye Vasate Lakshmi!
 
We all have heard about how the cow is considered a sacred animal by the Hindus. In recent times, this has led to several debates with the ban on beef on the one hand and the growing efforts of the Hindu community to save every cow at all costs.

But how did the cow achieve this status of sanctity? Why did it become such an important species to the agrarian populations?

In this issue, we look at only one of the several products that the cow creates - possibly its most disposable by product - cow dung.
Source: hinduismstockexchange.com
Cow dung is one of the five valued products we receive from the cow.

'The five products of cow (milk - दूध, curd - दही, butter/ghee - मक्ख्न/घी, cow dung - गोबर and cow urine - गोमूत्र) — the panchgavya (पञ्चगव्य), possess excellent quality of nourishment and purification of five basic elements of cosmos (earth, water, fire, air and space/ether). '

As eco product designers, we will  look at the utility of the cow dung material and its possible applications in modern society.
Traditional Uses of Cow Dung in India
Source: godhan.com
Traditionally cow dung has been used for several purposes. As a plaster, cow dung covered the walls of mud houses in Indian villages. It was also used as a flooring material. In both cases, the surfaces had to be regularly renewed and the activity became a task that women did together.
Cow dung plays a role in the ecology of countries where cows are part of the natural ecosystem. Cow dung provides food for a wide range of animal and fungus species, which break it down and recycle it into the food chain and into the soil.

Dried cow dung is traditionally used as a soil fertilizer. This is the most common use of cow dung. Fresh dung cannot be used as it contains very high concentration of ammonia which is harmful to plants and also attracts pests.

'Cattle have a natural aversion to feeding around their own dung. This can lead to the formation of taller ungrazed patches of heavily fertilized sward. These habitat patches, termed "islets", can be beneficial for many grassland arthropods, including spiders (Araneae) and bugs (Hemiptera). They have an important function in maintaining biodiversity in heavily utilized pastures.'
( Source : Wikipedia)

Source: gaukranti.com
As a source of fuel, cow dung was also used traditionally by making cakes that were sun dried. The high concentration of methane produced while burning cow dung makes it a good fuel to generate heat and electricity. Thus cow dung is a source of green energy.
 
This gas that is emitted from the cow dung was then harvested more systematically to create bio gas plants and these are successfully powering many a facility in India today. Cow dung is the major source of biogas or gobar gas production in India. Biogas is a mixture of gases produced by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by methanogenic bacteria. It mainly constitutes methane (50–65 %) and CO2 (25–45 %). Cow dung is used to produce biogas in an anaerobic digester.

Cow dung, sewage, plant or food material along with microbes is being put together in the digester where the whole material is decomposed by the microbes in the absence of oxygen, thus producing biogas. Biogas produced from cow dung generally consists of methane, carbon dioxide, and other components, such as hydrogen sulphide. It can be used to cook food, heat water in a boiler, and replace conventional fuel in motor vehicles and also produce electricity.
Source: alternativesjournal.com
What does Cow Dung contain?
Cow dung contains a diverse group of microorganisms that produces a range of metabolites beneficial to human beings. Many of these microorganisms have shown natural ability to increase soil fertility through phosphate solubilisation. Cow dung is a mixture of faeces and urine in the ratio of 3:1 and mainly consists of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. It also contains 24 different minerals including nitrogen, potassium, along with traces of sulphur, iron, magnesium, copper, cobalt and manganese.  It is believed that the cow dung of the indigenous Indian cow contains  higher amount of calcium, phosphorus, zinc and copper than the cross-breed cow.
To know more on the chemical composition of cow dung, click here
Contemporary applications of Cow Dung
In terms of a material to make products out of, cow dung offers the following benefits:

1. It is completely biodegradable.
2. It has anti bacterial and anti fungal properties.
3. It has a high fibre content.
4. It can be mixed with water to create different consistencies.
5. It is light.
6. It is a by product of other processes and existing systems.
7. It is cheap and freely available.
8. It is renewable and a source of green energy.
PAPER
Source: anandprakash.com
To find more sustainable ways of making paper, there have been several explorations of using animal dung to make paper. Elephant dung, rhino dung and cow dung are some examples. Since the dung has a high fibre content it can replace the use of wood in paper making.
To know more, click here
COSMETICS
Source: gaukranti.com
A range of cosmetic products have been made using cow dung and cow urine. While the medicinal properties of these are questioned by mainstream allopathic practitioners, traditional and alternate therapies freely use these. The range includes toothpaste, face wash, creams, eye drops, ear drops and also distilled solutions that can be internally consumed.

The cosmetic industry has used animal products for several decades and often without open declaration. Animal rights activists have succeeded in ensuring that cosmetic manufacturers ensure that their products are free of animal cruelty. However, this is an area that continues to be contentious.
INSECT REPELLANT
To benefit from the insect repellent properties of cow dung, it has been traditionally used in the making of incense and dhoop. Mixed with essential oils and other fragrances, these insect repellents provide a natural  and chemical free way of keeping insects away.

Photo source: klimon.com
FIBRE BOARD
Source: inhabitat.com
Apart from the uses of cow dung for its chemical properties, it can also be a great base for utility products. Researchers at Michigan State University are working on fibreboard produced from cow dung and find it to be of better quality than the traditional ones made from sawdust as these fibres interlock better.

It would be mixed with resin, heated, and compressed in the same way as the manufacture process of sawdust. This fibreboard can be used to manufacture furniture and is used in flooring and shelving.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Cow dung mixed with saw dust is used to make bricks. This is a relatively new process. These bricks are considered lighter than the conventional ones.
EcoFaebrick, an Indonesian organization has produced bricks made from cow dung. They claim these bricks to be greener, stronger and 20% lighter than regular clay bricks. These bricks are made using 75% cow manure and cured in a biogas heating process. The production of these bricks does away with the traditional quarry mining required for the production of conventional bricks which is environmentally damaging.

Source:treehugger.com
To know more, click here
How many cows can our planet support?
While appreciating the beauty of the cow, and the wide ranging benefits humans can derive from its products, we also need to be aware that animals have a rightful place in our ecosystem and their worth is not to be measured simply from their uses to us.

The over dependence on agriculture and animal husbandry for our sources of food have led to a steep imbalance in the population of domesticated animals on the planet. This has led to an increase in greenhouse gases such as methane and in conversion of forest lands into grazing pastures.

The application of materials such as cow dung to offset other environmentally damaging materials, need not result in an over dependence and increase of cow populations. Rather it can help save aging cows from unnecessary slaughter and allow them to live out their days in peace.