Dung Paper



	MAETANG ELEPHANT PARK


		Wives of the Mahouts collect Dung from the elephant compound before carrying it to the paper processing plant.



			Elephant Dung Paper hanging out to dry.

Elephant Dung Paper is one of the many ways we are helping to improve the environment. In the past, elephant dung was disposed of by burning but with weather patterns changing (causing hotter summers and longer dry periods across south east Asia), smoke has become a real health hazard

Illegal burning of undergrowth in the mountainous forests across Asia ( by farmers clearing ground for the approaching rainy season) causes massive pollution which hangs in the air like a dense fog. Shifting weather patterns have effected the prevailing winds and much of this smog is now hanging over northern Thailand, raising the Dust density to 3 times the maximum safety levels and hospitalizing hundreds of people as well as KILLING many new born children and the elderly.

Smoke from mountains of smoldering elephant dung only adds to the problem and action is necessary now to prevent contaminating the atmosphere further.

At Maetang Elephant Park we are now completely recycling our dung. There is no more burning ... no more pollution, radiating from our camp. The BBC’s WORLD CHALLENGE for 2006 awarded a small elephant camp in India, the top prize for its innovative project in turning Dung into Paper.

Given that inspiration, we were very quick to follow suit and, after many months of trial and error, we are now producing high quality paper that is 100% environmentally friendly. There is no more contamination from smoke and there is no contamination from waste water, as this too is recycled.

We are now completely GREEN and proud of it.


	The End Product

Both Thai’s and Karen Hill Tribe people are blessed with many skills passed down over the centuries and one of them is IMAGINATION. They are simply gifted in seeing a use for something that is beyond the vision of most Western Eyes and our employees have already come up with dozens of items created from our paper. Note books and envelopes, sketch pads and calendars, telephone/address books, gift cards for every occasion, photograph frames as well as simple wrapping paper; to name but a few.

Not contented with that, they continue to improve on these ideas, adding dried flowers and leaves or intricately hand woven fabrics, into the designs.

At Maetang Elephant Park we are proud of our staff and support them in every way possible. To that end, we have encouraged them to make products from our Dung Paper and have supplied them with outlets in the park where they can sell their creations to the visitors. Soon we hope to be able to sell these products “ON LINE” so that you too can not only support our small contribution to helping the environment but also support the local people improve their future.


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