Product Development of an Animal Shampoo from Lettuce Waste

Abstract

Overexploitation of natural resources is one of the global environmental problems, so it is crucial to use waste to achieve a more sustainable world. This paper proposes the development process of a product using ingredients extracted from leaves and stems of lettuce waste. To identify and satisfy the customer needs, the Chemical Product Design procedure was followed by discussing the four stages: Needs, Ideas, Selection and Manufacture. The final product - LettPet Shampoo - consists of an Animal Shampoo that has two formats: bottles of 0.2 L and 5 L. The bioactive compounds extracted add properties to the shampoo, such as fur loss prevention, strengthening, and antioxidant properties. According to the economic analysis, 50 thousand bottles would be sold in the first year, and at the end of the 5th year, sales would be doubled. The company would obtain a positive cash flow until the 4th semester and settle the debt after three years.