When you think of eliminating waste to do your part in saving the environment,toilet paper probably doesn't come to mind. Well, think again.
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As it turns out, toilet paper is not very sustainable. Why? The answer is simple: both its production and its use have a very high environmental cost. While many toilet paper manufacturers use recycled materials in their production, others do not. It is therefore important, when purchasing toilet paper, to consider whether the paper you are buying has been recycled.
Toilet paper, highly polluting
From the time the tree is cut down to acquire the paper needed for its manufacture until it reaches our homes, toilet paper travels for miles and produces a huge amount of pollution with a high carbon footprint. In addition to the trees required, many litres of water are required for its manufacture, thus demanding a very high water footprint.
On the other hand, a large amount of chlorine is used to bleach the paper, and its manufacture and transport involve a high level of CO2 emissions. In addition, toilet paper is generally sold in plastic bags, the production of which is highly polluting.
In this situation, alternatives to toilet paper can help to reduce the pollution of the planet. And their use is not entirely effective for a good
Eco-friendly alternatives
Bidet
One of the main alternatives to toilet paper is the use of the bidet, which allows a more ecological way of life. Although it has disappeared in many homes due to lack of space in the bathroom or design issues, if not due to lack of use, it is the most hygienic and healthy way to use a bidet.
Unlike toilet paper, the use of a bidet offers the possibility of using soap and water: the best way to ensure not only good hygiene, but also complete disinfection after defecation. It also helps to avoid toilet paper rubbing or to prevent haemorrhoids.
In some bathrooms, alternatives to the bidet can be found in the form of taps that can be adapted to the toilet so that water can be used, in an integrated cleaning system in the style of the Japanese washlet, which has hardly reached the West yet.
Sponges
The use of a soapy sponge is one of the best alternatives to toilet paper when using the bidet. However, it should be cleaned thoroughly after use and changed regularly, as it can accumulate bacteria.
Small reusable towels
The good thing about these towels is that after they have been rinsed with water, they can be used to dry the wet area and remove possible residues.
However, if you still want to use toilet paper, follow these steps:
- Use the paper in pieces, do not roll it in your hand. When you roll the paper in your hand, you consume 25% more than you need. That's an extra 7,000 tonnes a day.
- Buy toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper.
- Avoid buying pure white toilet paper, it has been necessary to use chemicals to bleach it. So avoid it.
- There are shops that sell toilet paper in bulk, so we avoid plastic or paper wrapping.
