KEY POINTS:
One person's rubbish is another ape's bedding, as Auckland Zoo has discovered.
The zoo's nine Borneo orang-utans, aged from 2 to 30, now sleep on fresh shredded paper each week.
Primate team leader Amy Dixon said the primates made nests every night with the paper - just as they would in the wild with plant matter.
Kevin Obern, managing director of OfficeMax, which donated the shredded paper, said the company initially thought about giving the paper to a local pet shop but found that once the paper was used, it was thrown out.
"We wanted to find an even more sustainable, long term use for the paper. After the orang-utans have used the paper, the zoo sends it to a specialist waste management company where it is treated to enable it to be included in a fertiliser."
He said the company has now reduced its total amount of shredded waste by about half. OfficeMax also had its own worm farm as part of its commitment to reduce digestible waste going to landfill and improve the environment.
