We all know
that trees are a big part of the paper industry, but deforestation is taking a
toll on the planet. Even with efforts to
replant trees it still takes a forest up to 65 years to fully grow back. Since paper products are such a big part of
our everyday lives, what are some alternate materials that can be used to make
paper?
Some great
alternatives to using trees include bamboo and hemp, which both grow rapidly. More alternatives include cotton and it's
cousin keneaf, but the most interesting alternative that I remember hearing
about and found more information on was elephant dung.
Elephants
have a diet containing fibrous plants and they eat 450-550 pounds of food a day
and from that they produce 110 pounds of dung that can be used to make
paper. One day of dung produced by an
elephant can make up to 115 sheets of paper.
But not all of us have an elephant readily available. So are there any other animals who's dung can
be used to make paper? That answer is
yes. Really any animal that has a very
fibrous diet had dung that can be made into paper. Some of these animals include cows, horses,
and donkeys. These are all animals that
we are more likely to see on a daily basis.
Paper made
from animal dung might sound a little off putting, but it's definitely an out
of the box solution for the continuing problem of deforestation.
Sources:
