Poo paper is dropping into the bookstore
What is made of animal poop, found in the bookstore and does not smell like a dirty zoo? Answer: poopoo paper. Signs outside the USU Bookstore state: “Poo is now sold here,” drawing in students curious about this new line of bookstore merchandise.
Cynthia Kohler, an undecided senior, works in supplies at the bookstore and was instrumental in bringing Poopoo paper to Utah State’s campus. She said she had seen the paper at a trade show in February and thought it would be a good product to sell at USU.
Kohler said the resourceful paper initially intrigued her because of the humorous nature of the product.
“I thought it was hilarious,” she said. “It’s made of poo.”
The paper is made from the waste of herbivores such as elephants, cows and horses, Kohler said.
“They boil the animal waste and it goes through a very meticulous cleaning process,” she said. “It is completely odorless because it is cleaned so well. They take out all the smelly stuff.”
She said the company uses herbivore dung because the digested meat is what causes poop to smell badly.
Karson Kalian, a junior in nutrition science, said the paper does not smell because of the animals’ diet.
“The elephants eat grass, (they have) a high-fiber diet,” he said.
According to poopoopaper.com, the company allows the fresh elephant dung to completely dry up before it is thoroughly rinsed and washed.
“All we’re really left with are the fibres from the vegetation that the elephant didn’t digest. That stuff doesn’t stink!” the site states.
Kalian, said the bookstore carries journals, scratchpads and notebooks. He said the paper is a green item.
“They take the poop from the elephants, they boil it for a really long time, they put it on a soak screen and dry it out in the sun. Then they take it and flatten it a bit more and they ship it,” he said.
According to poopoopaper.com, manufacturers add natural fibers from banana trees and pineapples to make a stronger and thicker paper.
Kohler said poopoo paper is definitely the most green paper product available.
“It is recycled animal waste, nothing was harmed in making it,” she said. “This is a great way to go green,” she said.
Aside from being an environmentally conscious choice, Kohler said the paper makes for a funny gag gift and has a cool texture. The front of the paper is smooth and on the back it is more fibrous.
“A lot of people like seeing how they can take actual poo and turn it into something useful,” Kalian said.
Kohler said the USU Bookstore has benefited from the poopoo paper promotion.
“It has gotten a lot of attention and it’s brought in a lot of people. They can see that we’ve got cool stuff here,” Kohler said. “It is something that we’ll keep on hand.”
Aaron Chadwick, another Bookstore employee, said he thinks the idea of poopoo paper is cool.
“It is resourceful and it is a very renewable product; you’re not tearing down trees for it,” he said.
Chadwick, a recent USU graduate in recreation resource management, said some of his fellow employees get a kick out of the new product and enjoy joking around with it.
“Some people who work here, who will remain nameless, will rub it on someone as a joke,” he said.
Chadwick said there is another resourceful product the Bookstore is selling, which he finds to be a bit less gross.
“It is made from coconut, mango and banana,” he said of a similar product from Pulp and Paper Co. that he would be more likely to purchase himself.
Braden Wamsley, an undeclared sophomore, said he did not know much about poopoo paper and thinks it is weird.
“I used to eat paper growing up,” he said.
In spite of his initial aversion to the concept, Wamsley said he thinks it could be a good idea.
“We should care so that we don’t waste resources,” he said.
According to poopoopaper.com, the company makes journals, notebooks, stationary, greeting cards, notepads and photo albums. The site states their purpose is to sell their goods with a creative, sustainable cycle where raw material is utilized to make a functional product while providing job opportunities. The company states a portion of their profits go toward elephant welfare and conservation.
“They allocate the profits to benefit the elephant population in Thailand, It’s a really great way to support the elephants, and it’s sort of like employing the elephants,” Kalian said.
The site states elephants today are facing numerous threats, including the disappearance of natural habitats due to human activity and poaching for their ivory tusks, meat and hides.
“Many experts believe there is little future for the elephant outside protected areas,” the site states.
Aside from direct sale proceeds, the website said poopoo paper also allows opportunities for fundraising and campaigns to prevent the criminal deaths of elephants.
– natashabodily@gmail.com