CritterBlog

Going Green with Wombat Poo Paper

Those Tasmanians are enterprising little devils. Creative Paper in the coastal city of Burnie, Australia, in Tasmania’s Northwest, is making handmade paper out of wombat droppings.

The wombat is a herbivorous marsupial (pouched mammal). Its vegetarian diet results in fibrous waste that can be boiled and molded into sheets of paper.

“When we are boiling it, it does smell horrific as you can imagine,” said papermaker Darren Simpson. “But once it has been sterilized and rinsed properly, there’s no scent left to it. If anything it just gives you a nice organic smell.”

The paper is popular with tourists. The company also makes paper out of kangaroo droppings. Mr. Simpson was the first one to make the Roo Poo paper.

See Also:
Tasmania’s wombat poo paper a hit [BBC News; April 18, 2009]