MANILA, Philippines?Menandro Acda, a teacher of wood science and wood protection at the UP Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources, has been working on his project, ?Recycling Waste Chicken Feathers for Low Cost Building Material,? for more than nine months now.

The project aims to utilize tons of chicken feathers to develop low-cost, lightweight, and decay-resistant composite panel as building material for houses and construction.

Acda?s project is a two-time winner in the eight year old Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants Program (Ford Ecogrants) which supports innovative sustainable solutions that lower environmental impacts. Ford has provided over P18 million in funding assistance to 62 projects.

Ford Motor Philippines president Richard Baker, recently visited Acda?s operations as a way of getting to know the projects being supported by the ecogrants.

According to Acda, the country produces 40 million chickens a year. Six percent of the chicken weight, he said, is feather. These feathers are either buried in landfills or are incinerated. In short, the chicken feathers account for a big amount of waste.

?Chicken feathers are the waste products of the poultry industry,? said Acda. ?The millions of kilos of waste feathers generated by commercial poultry processing plants results in a serious solid waste problem.?

He said there have been several attempts to solve the waste problem of chicken feathers elsewhere particularly commercial applications which utilize them in packaging and mulching films, fabrics and microchips.

However, they require only a low volume, barely reducing the amount of waste chicken feathers generated.

Acda demonstrated for Baker how the chicken feathers are mixed with cement to produce a material that is suitable for non-structural construction such as insolation in ceiling.

Though he and his team still needs another 6 to 12 months before they determine the best formulation of feathers and cement, Acda said that so far, 80 percent cement and 20 percent feather is the best mixture.

?You?ll never know the panels have been mixed with feathers,? said Acda. ?It virtually has no smell and there have been so far no reports of any allergic reactions with the use of chicken feathers.?

The professor said he needs more tests to make commercially viable the construction materials made from recycled chicken feathers.

?Ford is proud to be involved in such an exciting and ecologically relevant project. Our support for this endeavor underscores our commitment to finding sustainable solutions in protecting and maintaining our environment,? Baker said.

This is the second project of Acda that received support from Ford Ecogrants. In 2006, Acda was a recipient for his project, ?Lahar Barrier for Termite Control,? in which he built a house right behind his office that sits on a 4-inch layer of lahar.

He said the lahar, which came from the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, is a natural barrier from termites. So far, in its evaluation phase, the project is proving to be a success as there has been no sight of any termite inside the house for over two years now.

Since its inception, Ford Ecogrants have partnered with various groups and organizations with different causes such as the Bantay Kalikasan.

Together, they had established a scientific garden in the La Mesa biodiversity and nature park in 2003; had planted indigenous plants in the La Mesa Watershed in 2004; and had built the Ford Arboretum of Philippine Endangered and Unique Tree Species at the La Mesa Nature Reserve in 2005.

Ford has also supported the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education for its Project Learning Tree from 2001 to 2003; and the Moonrise Film Festival from 2004 to 2006.

For their end, Baker said they will continue to maintain the use of recyclable materials in manufacturing their cars, adding that 95 percent of materials used in their cars is recyclable. Baker said that the company would double the production of their hybrid cars next year.

In 2007, Ford extended a million pesos to four causes: Klima-Climate Change Center Manila Observatory for their ?Schools on LoCO2,? a call for a ?low carbon diet? and healthy lifestyle; and Clean and Green Foundation Inc. for the conservation of their ?The Orchidarium and Butterfly Pavilion.?

The other two recipients were individuals: Rodilo H. Lebiano for the conservation and rehabilitation of the T?Nalak Production; and Dr. Menandro Acda for recycling waste chicken feathers into construction materials.

The Ford Ecogrants is still accepting applications for the 2008 recipients. Interested groups or individuals may visit www.ford.com.ph to download an application form. Call 885-0001 loc. 106 for more information.