Giant pandas’ feces will be produced into household paper, according to a cooperation agreement signed by China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) and Sichuan Qianwei Fengsheng Paper LLC on Dec. 18.

The center noted that all feces and food waste of pandas at the Dujiangyan Base, Bifengxia Base, and Shenshuping Base will be recycled and processed to produce household paper.

Huang Yan, a director of CCRCGP, introduced that an adult panda can produce 10 kilograms of feces and 50 kilograms of bamboo waste each day, which will pollute the environment if disposed. However, they can benefit people after being turned into paper.

In addition, pandas only absorb nutritional ingredients such as polysaccharide in bamboo leaves. The bamboo fiber is excreted in the form of feces, which reduces steps for producing paper, Zhou Chuanping, a manager at the paper company said.

Zhou added that there are also steps in the production process to make sure the paper meets hygienic and safety standards.

Due to high production cost and complicated production procedures, the selling price for each box of tissue is 43 yuan ($6.5), which is more expensive that normal tissues, said Zhou.