From Poo to Paper: Elephant Poo Transformed into Eco-Friendly Paper

On June 20, 2023, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Elephant PooPoo Paper Park, an eco-friendly outdoor museum park in Chang Mai, Thailand where I learnt the unique steps involved in making paper products from elephant poop fibres! The elephant poop paper is created without the use of chemicals, coloured with food colours and printed with soy-based inks. All offcuts are recycled into new paper and no trees are used to supplement any products. The hands-on tour guides visitors through each stage of the fascinating process of making paper from elephant poo.

Collecting poop. The first stop on the tour was investigating poop by smelling it and touching it. The Elephant PooPoo Paper Park uses several different kinds of animal poop from horses, cows, and elephants. Since all these animals are herbivores that have high fibre diets of bamboo, sugar cane, grasses, banana trees, and leaves and have inefficient digestive systems that don’t completely break down the fibres that they eat. This leaves a tremendous amount of waste that can be recycled.

Cleaning and boiling poo. Cleaning and boiling are important steps in the paper making process. All non-fibre material needs to be removed before the boiling process. The cleaned fibres are boiled for 4-6 hours (at 90-100 degrees) which makes them softer and easier to manipulate. This process destroys any bacteria left in the fibres. There are no chemicals used in the cleaning and boiling process and the wastewater is recycled to boil more fibres or water the plants and flowers around the park.

Making poo balls. After being boiled, the elephant pulp fibre is mixed with coconut fibres and recycled elephant poo paper to make the fibres stronger. This helps the elephant poo fibres bond into a sheet of paper. Non-toxic food colouring is then added to the fibres to make dozens of different colours. The water is removed and recycled from the fibres and smooshed into a ball.

Sheet screening. Screening is the process of making physical sheets of paper using a framed screen. This traditional method of making paper hasn’t changed significantly since it was invented in China in 105 AD. The pulp fibre ball is placed into a framed screen submerged in water. Then you physically break up the fibres and smoosh them to take up every available space in the framed screen. Once this is completed the framed screen is lifted out of the water and taken outside to dry upright in the sun. The drying time for the paper fibres takes several hours. When it is completely dry, you can easily press with your thumbs along the back and peel the paper from the framed screen.

Crafting. Now that you have a stack of pretty, colourful sheets of elephant poo paper, you can start cutting the paper into shapes and different sizes. This is also where the gluing, binding, decorating, and printing happens in the process. The Elephant PooPoo Paper Park creates many different Elephant Poo Paper products such as journals, greeting cards, picture frames, and even passport holders.

The Elephant PooPoo Paper Park in Chang Mai, Thailand is an extraordinary place that introduces you to the fascinating world of paper-making using elephant poop fibres. It's not as gross as it sounds, trust me! This eco-friendly museum park teaches us how to protect our environment and is a shining example of how creativity and sustainability can go hand in hand. It's a place where you can have fun while

learning about the importance of taking care of our planet.

So, the next time you're in Chang Mai, don't miss the chance to visit this unique and eco-friendly park. You'll leave with a newfound appreciation for nature and a mind full of innovative ideas!