Helen Roush, Executive Vice President of Paperitalo Publications

The BBC recently reported that the Frogmore Paper Mill in Apsley, UK is making paper out of elephant dung, in an effort to go greener.

The CW Group also reported on this story and stated in a recent article that "The mill is investing in materials such as excrement from big herbivores (such as elephants, rhinos, reindeers, and others) in order to create more sustainable paper. "

In an article from the New Indian Express, it states that "Pathanamthitta's main tourist attraction -- the Konni Elephant Camp -- is all set to produce eco-friendly office files from jumbo poop."

The Better India reported in an article, the process of making paper out of elephant dung, as follows:

"Poo collection from various stables

Cleaning of the poo in large quantities of water

Cooking the washed poo for about 4-5 hours in salty water to make it soft and pliable

Drying and sorting of the poo to remove waste

Pulping takes place next by beating the fibre in the Hollander Beater for about 4 hours

The beaten pulp is then mixed with water and lifted with a sieve to form a paper

Couching takes place next wherein the sheet is placed on a muslin cloth

The sheets are compressed in a hydraulic press and then dried completely in the shade

Lastly the sheets are passed back and forth between rollers in a process called calendaring. The sheets are finally smooth and writable, and ready to be shipped to their destinations."

The Deccan Herald recently reported that a scientist discovered a way to make paper from banana stems.

The article states that "Dr Vishal Mishra said that making paper from banana stem fibre is a process that involves several steps, including harvesting, cleaning, cutting, cooking, rinsing, and beating the fibre, followed by the final step of forming and drying the paper."

The article goes on to state that "This method produces high-quality paper that is durable, absorbent, and environment-friendly, making it a great alternative to traditional paper made from wood-pulp fibre."

We are seeing many innovative ways to produce paper, what will be next?