Dung paper

Elephant dung paper
Type	Paper;recycled paper
Material	Herbivorefeces
Introduced	1997,Kenya

Dung paper is a type ofpaper usingnatural fibers fromcellulose-richherbivorousfeces. Many dung paper producers mixwaste paper to make the paper more appealing while remainingeco-friendly.

Dung paper was invented byKenyanconservationist Mike Bugara by late 1996, usingAfrican elephant dung. He found success with theKenya Wildlife Service, which in 1997 commissioned his paper for special events.^[1] In the early 2000s, the KWS began to encourage other Kenyan farmers to collect elephant dung and produce elephant dung paper. As of 2025, 17 elephant dung paper companies operate in Kenya, with more in neighboring countries.^[2]

Elephant dung paper quickly spread outside of East Africa to Asia. In 1997, shortly after the introduction of African elephant dung paper, Thusitha Ranasinghe ofSri Lanka founded Eco Maximus to produceIndian elephant dung paper. Ranasinghe was inspired by reading about the Kenyan elephant dung paper in the news.^[3] Following two years of experimentation, in 2001 former paralegal Wanchai Asawawibulkij started aThai elephant dung paper mill at theThai Elephant Conservation Center inLampang.^[4][5] In 2004 inJaipur,India, papermakers Mahima Mehra & Vijendra Shekhawat foundedHaathi Chaap to produce elephant dung paper fromIndian elephants. The company initially had difficulty overcoming local workers' taboo against feces, but found success contextualizing the work as indirect worship ofGanesha.^[6][7]

Bugara's concept inspired other novel dung papers using other types of dung.

Elk (Moose)

Sweden, 2000, Ann-Mari Remahn & Sune Häggmark,Moose Garden [de])^[8]

Bison

Idaho,USA, invented c. 2002, available 2005, Victor Bruha & Daniel Hidalgo, Dung and Dunger; inspired by Thai elephant dung paper.^[9][10]

Kangaroo andwallaby

Tasmania,Australia, 2005, Creative Paper Tasmania; inspired by African elephant dung paper and Scandinavian elk dung paper.^[11][4]

Domestic sheep

Wales, 2008, Lez Paylor & Lawrence Toms, Creative Paper Wales; inspired by kangaroo & wallaby dung paper.^[12][13]

Rhinoceros

Assam,India, 2013, Mahesh Bora, ElRhino; inspired byRajasthan elephant dung paper.^[14]

Cattle

Rajasthan,India, 2018, Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute,Khadi and Village Industries Commission^[15]

All dung paper production follows the same general steps:

1. The collected dung is ground as needed into a paste;
2. The paste is washed as needed to separate the cellulose fibers from other fecal matter;
3. Additional fiber and liquids are added as desired, to adjust final paper properties;
4. The resulting slurry is screened into a sheet;
5. After final adjustments, the wet sheet is dried.^[16]

Dung paper is marketed in various ways across many companies, including as anovelty item, aneco-friendly good, asouvenir, and asfolk art.^[7]

• Crop residue
• Upcycling
• Paper recycling

• Paper
• Feces
• Animal waste products
• Animal conservation
• Recycling
• Recycling industry

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Pages using gallery without a media namespace prefix