From Poo to Document: How Elephant Poo Becomes Paper

When you think of elephant poop, the first word that you probably think of might be fetid or nauseating, but certainly not paper. But believe it or not, elephant dung can be transformed into beautiful, eco-friendly paper. This innovation helps to reduce demand for paper produced from trees, helping preserve wildlife & animals, and saving waste in an unconventional way.

Now, let's move on to why elephant poo is so suitable for paper production and how it turns into paper.

Why Elephant Poo?
Elephants are herbivores that eat large amounts of grass, leaves, and bark of up to 150 kilograms a day. However, they have inefficient digestive systems, which results in most of what they eat coming out in the form of undigested plant fibre for most of their waste. These fibres are just like the fibres from wood pulp, which is exactly what is needed to make paper.

Using elephant poo to make paper helps reduce the demand for cutting down trees and turns natural waste into a useful product. Even better, many elephant sanctuaries and conservation centres can use poo paper as a way to raise funds as well as educate society about sustainability. It is a smart, eco-conscious solution.

The Paper-Making Process
The process begins by collecting fresh elephant poo from elephant parks or conservation areas. This poo is then washed with water thoroughly to remove dirt and waste, only retaining fibrous plant matter. It is then spread out under the sun to dry.

They are then boiled in a chemical solution to eliminate the bacteria and soften the fibre. They are then washed once more to remove any remaining chemicals. The softened fibres are then dissolved into pulp using a machine named fibre disintegrator, and further ground finer using a beater to make the smooth texture.

At this stage, recycled paper is added to the elephant dung poo to make the mixture stronger and enhance the finish of the product. The two are thoroughly mixed and made into a soft pulp before being poured onto a fine mesh screen. The screen shapes the pulp into thin, flat sheets. Finally, the sheets are left out in the sun to dry carefully until they are strong and ready for use.

Turning Waste into Wonder
The final product is clean, quality paper which shows a creative way to recycle natural materials as well as assisting in the promotion of elephants’ conservation and reducing environmental impact. However, elephant poo paper is more than an eco- friendly product; it's a unique example of how nature and innovation can exist together.