10 kg feces/panda/day x 273 pandas = ? tissues
January 28, 2019 3:31 PM   Subscribe

 
Panda poop previously
posted by not_the_water at 3:34 PM on January 28, 2019


Its panda-poop tissue sells for 10 to 20 times the price of the standard variety.

You gotta be… never mind.
posted by rodlymight at 3:38 PM on January 28, 2019 [3 favorites]


see also
posted by solotoro at 3:42 PM on January 28, 2019 [1 favorite]


Now I know that animal poo paper is a global industry.
posted by doctornemo at 4:12 PM on January 28, 2019


The higher price is necessary to offset the cost of the many sterilization procedures, of which there about 60, manager Zhou Chuanping told the daily, including cleaning and steaming. They’re meant to ensure the products meet hygiene standards around the world. Zhou expects the tissues will gain a following among consumers with an environmental-protection mindset.

Turning the feces into paper helps reduce environmental pollution because the center—called the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda—would otherwise throw the feces away or use it as fertilizer, according to Huang Yan, director of animal research and management at the center. Huang told the newspaper that on average an adult panda consumes 12-15 kg (26-33 lbs) of bamboo a day, which turns into 10 kg of feces—known as “qingtuan” for its green color and round shape (“qing” means green, “tuan” a round pile).


Wow, can processing this stuff 60 times really help reduce pollution? Why is using it as fertilizer worse than using it as paper? I have many questions but appreciate the posting, OP, plus the follow ups from commenters. Elephant-poo paper, now I know!
posted by Bella Donna at 12:45 AM on January 29, 2019 [1 favorite]


Poop is supposed to decompose and turn into fertilizer. Turning it into tissue after an extensive sterilization process is not environmentally friendly in my book.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 11:18 AM on January 29, 2019


I'm not convinced that sterilization adds very much cost/ resources compared to preparing fiber from whole bamboo. The pandas do a lot of the pulping, that must save on the cost.

How long are panda-processed fibers compared to fiber prepared from whole bamboo?

I have bamboo fiber socks and they're wonderful; a fellow MeFi also shared that there is a company that sells mail-order bamboo fiber toilet paper and reported that it is luxurious as all get out.
posted by porpoise at 4:50 PM on January 29, 2019


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