An Illinois scientist is feeding newsprint to cows. He believes that the paper can be transformed into feed that would comprise over 30% of the cow's diet; a large cow could thus eat 4.5 kilograms of newsprint each day.
Larry Berger, a professor of animal nutrition at the University of Illinois, shreds the newspapers (using only those with soybean oil-based ink, known to be safe for human consumption), treats them with water and two per cent hydrochloric acid and then boils the mixture for up to two hours. The heat and acid break apart the cellulose fibres enough for bacteria inside ruminants' stomachs to finish the job.
'The 30 million cattle in the States,' says Berger, 'could easily consume all the newspapers that are recycled.'