Review of methods for the reuse and recycling of equine bedding waste

Abstract

The worldwide expansion of the horse industry has changed the role of horses from work animals to competition, companion and recreation animals. Competition and companion horses spend a significant part of their days confined in stalls, on beds made of different materials, such as shavings. Accumulated waste is removed daily or weekly and is often discarded in an uncontrolled manner, becoming a potential pollutant of soil and water. The present work aims to summarize the potential environmental impact of horse litter disposal practices described in the literature in line with the circular economy. The Science Direct database, the website of the United Nations (UN) and the website of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) were used as source material. The results are displayed using the VOSviewer online software. The main horse litter waste disposal practices were burning (to generate heat), pyrolysis (production of biofuels such as bioethanol and biochar) and production of organic fertilizers. The lowest environmental impact was achieved by a combination of these methods.