Everyone knows most paper comes from trees. What they don’t realize is how much doesn’t have to. At POOPOOPAPER, we asked a simple question: what if paper didn’t come from forests, but from… cow poop?
Turns out, it’s not only possible but also pretty amazing. Thanks to the high fiber content in cow dung (because cows don’t digest all the plant material they eat), cow poop is a surprisingly perfect raw material for handmade paper. And no, it doesn’t smell. (Really!)
How POOPOOPAPER Turns Cow Poop into Paper
Here’s how we go from pasture to paper — no trees involved:
- Collection: We work with local farms to collect cow manure, which helps farmers manage waste while giving us a steady supply of eco-friendly raw material.
- Cleaning: All the non-fiber material (dirt, rocks, or, ahem, surprises) gets filtered out. Only the fibrous plant material remains.
- Boiling & Sanitizing: The poop fibers are boiled for several hours to sanitize and soften them into pulp.
- Blending: We mix in other agricultural waste (like corn husks or banana peels) to strengthen the paper’s structure.
- Coloring: Natural, non-toxic food dyes are used to add color — or we leave the paper beautifully earthy and neutral.
- Sheet Forming: The pulp is spread onto traditional screens and dried under the sun to form actual sheets of paper.
The result? Gorgeous, durable, cow poop paper. It’s completely tree-free and odor-free!
What Can You Actually Buy?
You’d be amazed what a little cow poop and a lot of creativity can create. At POOPOOPAPER, we’ve transformed farm waste into thoughtful, functional, and just-plain-fun paper goods.
Here are just a few of our most-loved items:
- Greeting Cards – Quirky and eco-friendly, handmade by our local artisans
- Journals & Notebooks – Durable enough for daily use, wild enough for great conversation starters
- Scratch Pads & Desk Notes – Full of fun sayings and sustainable charm
- Paper Flower Bouquets – Yes, made from cow poop. Yes, they look amazing.
- Art Supplies – Blank cow poop paper sheets for drawing, painting, or experimenting
And the best part? It writes, feels, and performs just like traditional paper. But with a far smaller environmental footprint!
Why It Matters
Traditional paper production involves chopping down trees, burning energy, using toxic chemicals, and consuming tons of water. POOPOOPAPER’s cow poop paper skips all of that.
- No trees are cut down
- No bleach, chlorine, or harsh chemicals used in its creation
- Water is reused safely throughout the production process
- Waste fibers are recycled again and again
Even better, our production model supports ethical, community-based employment in Thailand. Artisans (mostly women and ethnic minorities) work from home or small workshops, earning fair wages and long-term benefits. We’re proud to be SA8000-certified, a gold standard in social responsibility. In short: less pollution, more opportunity, and a product that makes people smile to boot.
The Bottom Line?
Cow poop isn’t just barnyard waste. It’s an unexpectedly renewable and remarkably useful resource. Cows eat every day. Cows poop every day. So instead of letting all that manure pile up, we turn it into paper. Smart, right?
So, the next time you need a notebook, card, or eco-friendly gift, skip the tree-based stuff and choose the moo-re responsible option.
