Samenvatting

The following research justification report shows to which extent adding HemCell prebiotics to the current product line is financially feasible. Before coming up with a calculation model, some more background research needed to be done.

Four information gaps were identified on which this research is based:
1. The exact process of recycling separate waste streams in module A
2. The size of the bioplastics waste stream
3. The cost for producing HemCell® considering all internal and external factors
4. The market potential of the prebiotic to reach 1% market share within the given time frame of five years

In order to be able to answer these information gaps, research was done by performing both desk and field research. Desk research contained internal research as well as external research. The field research consisted of several interviews with companies at the beginning of the process, the waste recycling companies and at the end of the process, the livestock farmers. The results are limited to Europe and technical research results are limited to Europe and India. This is due to the protected industries, where it is difficult to find the right contacts. In the end, a representative number of interviews were done and transcribed afterwards.

Results show that there is enough interest in the acquisition of the prebiotics, despite the fact that there are some things to consider, such as the maximum capacity of chickens to grow bigger and lay more eggs. In addition to that, there are some concerns about the applicability for other animals than chickens. Furthermore, the traditional waste recycling companies are (for now) unable to deliver sorted bioplastics.

As a result, the final advice is that the project BioReUse is feasible, provided that the given recommendations are followed. Recommendations can be found at the end of this report and are as follows:
1. Look for other waste providers rather than traditional waste recyclers.
2. Complete the study on the effect on all livestock species as soon as possible.
3. Conduct a research on the differences between food intake-based prebiotics and stable floor-based prebiotics.
4. Conduct research to the growth capacity of the poultry industry in Western Europe to examine if Europe is the right target market.
5. Conduct research to the nitrogen process in the manure decomposition process.
6. Connect with other research institutions based in Western Europe.
7. Create partnerships with other probiotics companies.
All recommendation can be implemented within a timespan of 1-5 years, depending on the easiness of implementation and impact on the decision to start producing HemCell prebiotics.

Limitations
It is important to mention that during the execution of the research some limitations have become apparent. Both the waste and agricultural sector are sectors with limited access to information. Recycling companies are not willing to give away confidential information and therefore it was hard to schedule interviews. In the agricultural sector, most farmers do not have a website or contact details online. It was therefore hard to get in touch with poultry farmers. The fact that the desired quantity of interviews has not been reached, might have an impact on the reliability of the research. The research is now based on results obtained from farmers in the Netherlands and Austria and therefore not applicable as a general conclusion that cover the worldwide situation. Even though reliability might not be as desired, the validity of the research can be assured.