We Learned How Elephant Dung is Transformed Into Paper During Our Eco Tour

Products made with elephant poo paper

During our visit to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, we saw a small elephant poo factory that gave us the opportunity to learn how elephant dung is transformed into paper. I have seen products made with elephant poo during the Green living show in Canada, so very curiously we went in. 

We were given a detailed tour of how the dung was used to make paper. My children were amazed seeing poo becoming paper. We found the learning experience amazing and enjoyed watching how the cute crafts were made.  

Since elephants are herbivores and eat grass, leaves, bark, fruits such as wood apple and palm leaves their dung contains fiber. 50% of the 200kg of food elephants eat per day comes out undigested.

Having the fiber makes it easy to make paper. The fibers are boiled in a container for a day until it becomes clean and soft, then it is washed.

The dung is spun for about 3 hours to cut fibers and afterwards different colours are added. 

It is pulped and mixed before putting it in a mould to make the paper. 

Once the paper is dry, it is smoothened with stones or passed through a calendaring machine to make it smooth.

The paper is then used to make a variety of products such as stationary items, albums, calendars, crafts and more.

If you do go to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lank then do take this educational eco-tour, and purchase the colourful paper and crafts that are made with elephant poo. 

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