From poo to paper

So, you think the paper you're using for writing and wrapping is processed out from the tree? Would you be surprised if I told you that there is paper made of elephant poo? An elephant can produce about 1 ton of droppings per week and a smart company is taking advantage of this excessive amount of elephant dung. The concept of elephant dung paper seems farfetched, but an enterprising Thai man combined science and conservation to make the poo paper a reality.

The man behind the paper is Mr. Wanchai. On his way home from work he used to pass a natural paper factory and was impressed at the simplicity of the process that used natural tree fibers to make high quality hand made paper. He then took a trip to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang Northern Thailand and saw piles and piles of dung. He looked at the dung and noticed that the dung was very fibrous. This was the birth of the idea.

The next step was to take home a carload of dung to his house. His wife was amused and at this stage very patient. But when he started using the family food processor to cut the long fibers to a shorter length – his wife finally lost her patience. Not only was he bringing home dung but using the food processor was one step too far. She gave him two choices. The first was to stop bringing home dung and concentrate on his job. The second was to make the dung paper full time. Either way, she wanted a new food processor!

Now being done in the factory, the process started from collecting, washing and straining the dung for its fibrous matter. Then it is boiled for 5 hours and bleached. Once it is cleaned, it is then dried and made into pulp. The sheets that result from this process are brown, unless they've added coloring to make more varieties. This concept has attracted worldwide attention, and now many are trying to create paper out of poo from sheeps, horses, kangaroos and other animals as well.

Mr. Wanchai still has the old food processor as a reminder and lesson to him and his children that – in life many people may think you are mad or crazy but if you have the courage to try and try then you will succeed. If he had listened to the laughs then he would not successful as he does now. Mr. Wanchai is philosophical about his journey “Thai elephants have helped many generations of Thais and they continue to provide many jobs for the ordinary people like me. It might be just plain dung to most but to me every time a ball drops it is another opportunity to help them – one man's or elephant's trash is another's treasure – where there is muck there is money'.

Source : elephantdungpaper.com

Tags : elephant dung poo droppings excrement paper wrapper thailand wanchai sheeps horses kangaroos animals process

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