The Truth About Toilet Paper

I think we can all relate to the feeling of despair and helplessness when it comes to the state of our environment. However, we must not lose sight of the small and simple changes we can make in our everyday lives to turn the climate crisis around! I mean, who knew you could be making a positive impact while sitting on the toilet? Every day, humans flush 27,000 trees down the world’s toilets. And, get this — just one roll of typical tree-paper requires 37 gallons of water and a gallon’s worth of chemicals like bleach and formaldehyde to become the fluffy, white stuff we see on the shelves.  

This was news to me. It wasn't until my friends Diva & Lee launched PlantPAPER, a sustainable toilet paper company, that I learned the dark reality of the TP industry. It turns out the way we wipe matters. A LOT! Here are five reasons why you should give a shit about the type of toilet paper you use: 

• A typical roll of tree-paper contains BPAs, bleach, dyes and formaldehyde, all of which are known carcinogens that enter the body through micro-cuts, causing UTIs, yeast infections, fissures, and hemorrhoids. The fluffier and whiter your toilet paper, the more likely it is to contain high amounts of these chemicals.

• Trees need harsh chemicals and huge amounts of water to break down and become “ultra plush” rolls. Since the late 19th century, companies like Scott have been promoting this archaic way of wiping to the detriment of both our bodies and the planet.
  

• Every year, over 26 million tons of carbon dioxide are released from clearcutting, and yet most of the toilet paper we see on the shelves still comes from virgin boreal forests in Canada. These forests are among the most important carbon sinks in the world, and replanting those old growth trees with new ones does little to offset emissions of carbon dioxide.
  
  
• Big TP companies lead us to believe that puffy paper keeps us clean, but in reality, we’re wreaking havoc on our most precious environments. What feels soft in the hand isn’t soft on the body, and it doesn’t do the one job it’s meant for — helping us to stay healthy.
  

We can do better. With one easy switch we can save water, cut out chemicals, and save thousands of trees each day. One way to go beyond toxic tree paper is by choosing toilet paper made of fast-growing grasses like bamboo. PlantPAPER offers toilet paper made from the strong, silky fibers of fast-growing, minimally-processed organic bamboo. Its signature dot matrix pattern is combined with bamboo’s high-tensile strength and absorbency to keep you clean and leave no trace behind on your behind. Zero bleach, zero formaldehyde, zero trees. 

We challenge you to go the extra mile and share this information with your workplace, school, favorite restaurants - (pretty much any place you have ever used a restroom). With knowledge comes change!