Elrhino Paper

Elrhino Paper also known as Elrhino Dung Paper contributes to conservation of the endangered one horned rhino and the Asiatic elephant by using their Read moredung to create paper. The people employed in this task are rural people from the remote villages of Assam. It aims to help the environment and also provide livelihoods to poor villagers. It sends out these rural folk to roam around in the Assam jungles and collect rhino and elephant dung along with collecting grass, jute, water hyacinth, pineapple bark, ferns, flowers, betel nuts, turmeric, tea leaves and dead tree bark and also use local ahimsa silk, vegetable inks to manufacture handmade paper in their small units. The paper making process is free of any chemicals and follows age old traditions of boiling the dung multiple times to separate natural fibrous matter, mixed with the pulp of the other waste ingredients that is collected and cotton waste. The process of repeatedly boiling the dung to separate out fibre leaves it with no odour or bacteria. The organisation claims that Its process, compared to burning wood, consumes 44% less energy, produces 38% less greenhouse gas emissions, 41% less particulate matter, 50% less waste and 100% less wood. It employs labour solely from the tribal villages of the region. The villagers are mostly small farmers and are usually poor due to the frequent floods widespread in Assam. Through the work of manufacturing dung paper It provides a sustainable means of income to these tribals, promoting protection of the rhino and elephant and reducing man and wildlife conflicts. Elrhino Paper maintains an online website where it displays the varieties of paper for people to choose, purchase and get delivered at home. Over 2 years of Its existence, It has managed to spread awareness about the Greater one horned rhino to more than 4000 people, Got media attention over 500 plus times to the endangered animal, increased income, provided employment and developed skills of over 910 individuals, Saved 100 trees, 800 gallons of oil, 6 cubic yards of landfill space, 80,000 kilowatts of energy and 2 metric tons of carbon equivalent.