This methane-catching face mask for cows is being trialled by one of the UK's largest meat producers
Prince Charles backs face masks for cows to help save the planet one burp at a time
Methane-catching devices, an invention backed by the Prince of Wales, could be fitted to herds to reduce carbon hoofprint of British beef.
The methane-catching devices, an invention backed by the Prince of Wales, could be fitted to British herds to reduce emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas.
Startup Zelp, founded by Francisco Norris, uses pioneering technology to convert methane burped out by dairy and beef herds into water and carbon dioxide in an attempt to stem emissions.
The company has been working with one of the UK's largest meat producers to trial the devices on cows to help cut the carbon footprint of British beef.
Cows produce methane and carbon dioxide, both of which contribute to climate change. Around 95 per cent of the methane emitted by a cow is thought to come from their mouths and nostrils, Zelp said.
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The device sits around the animal's head and captures methane emitted when it exhales. The gas travels through a micro-sized catalytic converter, and it is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and water vapour.
The company said tests had shown a 53 per cent reduction in methane emissions, and it is hoping to reach 60 per cent next year.
The invention was one of four to win a £50,000 prize run by the Terra Carta Design Lab, a prize for Royal College of Art students and alumni which forms part of the Prince's Sustainable Markets Initiative.
Winners were selected by a panel including the Prince of Wales, who is also the Royal Visitor at the RCA, and Sir Jony Ive, the chancellor of the Royal College of Art and a former chief design officer at Apple.
