What you may not know, however, is that many of these trees that are harvested to make toilet paper come from Canada’s Boreal Forest, which Eubanks says is one of the world’s major carbon sinks. That is, it removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and stores it – according to the NRDC, it stores a whopping 12 percent of the world’s terrestrial (like on land) CO2 supply. When the trees are gone, not only does the carbon recovery take place, but the carbon stores are set free. That is no bueno for the environment and life as we know it. (Note: Forests are also threatened by an increase in forest fires due to warmer, drier weather.) The reason toilet paper-related deforestation is concentrated in this way, says PlantPAPER co-founder Lee Reitelman, is that despite the countless labels on store shelves, few companies make most of the product.

Pure toilet paper also requires a lot of chemicals and water usage in converting pulp into paper, says Eubanks. “It can normally take up to 37 gallons of water to make just one roll of tree paper,” she says. “And it usually contains about a gallon of chemicals, including bleach, formaldehyde, dyes, chlorine and BPA.” This cocktail ends up in our waters first and can also have an impact on our health. “For example, we have connections with urinary tract infections, yeast infections , Seen hemorrhoids and fissures, all of which come in direct contact with our bodies through the use of products like this and actually enter our bloodstream through microscopic incisions in the body, “explains Eubanks, notes that while consumers are more aware of this problem with feminine hygiene products but they tend to overlook the same concerns about their toilet paper.

So the question is not whether or not to replace traditional TP, but what is the best environmentally friendly toilet paper substitute; However, this is not an easy conclusion. “There are many factors, and a comprehensive lifecycle assessment needs to be performed for each category,” says Bonnie Nixon, professor of sustainable supply chain at UCLA. “It’s an exciting journey and requires you to look at all of the factors like energy, water, shipping, waste, productivity, workers rights, health, safety and all kinds of metrics for carbon, water and waste.” Since such life cycle assessments do not yet exist, we have put together the next best thing.

Here’s your guide to tree-free TP alternatives, from eco-friendly toilet paper to bidets, along with their pros and cons

Bamboo toilet paper

Many new brands like PLANTpaper and Who Gives a Crap are focusing their efforts on tree-free paper sources, and so far there seems to be a front runner: “Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world – it grows up to a meter a day – and in contrast Bamboo grows back into a tree that much faster, “says Reitlman.” In fact, it has to be harvested in order to grow back. So while it can take a forest 100 years to look like a forest again, a bamboo growth can essentially return in one season. “

Bamboo also needs a lot less processing to turn it into paper, explains Reitlman. “IIn our case we don’t use bleach or formaldehyde and we use less glue, “he says.” It’s good for human health, but also very important to reduce or eliminate industrial runoff, “says bamboo is needed in his Processing of significantly less water than trees.

Of course, it still has an impact on the environment, including the carbon footprint for manufacturing and transportation – most of the bamboo for toilet paper is grown in China – and the impact it can have on the biodiversity of the regions in which it is located he is grown. So it’s worth taking the extra step to learn how your TP supplier offsets their carbon footprint and helps preserve the land their bamboo is produced on.

Bidets

If toilet paper is this problematic, perhaps the best solution is to minimize our use of it. Miki Agrawal, founder of Tushy bidet fitting company, has built an entire company around her belief that this is the way to go. “The fact that we have been so deeply indoctrinated into believing that dry toilet paper actually cleans the dirtiest part of our bodies is kind of insane,” she says.

Agrawal is half Indian and half Japanese so her parents are both from cultures that use bidets and she is committed to bringing bidets to the States by solving both cost and installation issues. Tushy’s product costs just $ 79 and can be installed on top of your existing toilet.

Although bidets don’t completely eliminate the need for toilet paper – some are needed for drying, after all – they have the potential for lower consumption (especially after bad curry or the like). Tushy also sells bamboo paper for this purpose (and Agrawal says they will soon be bringing out paper made from an even more sustainable material). “And if you can really get excited about being environmentally conscious, we have organic bamboo towels, which are literally the softest towel in the world,” she says. “We have thousands upon thousands of customers who have completely done without toilet paper and simply pat themselves dry with our organic bamboo towels.”

Nixon agrees that bidets are a promising alternative, with caveats. “You’d have to look at how many flushes, water usage and availability for this region,” she says. “In a water-rich, rain-rich region, this would definitely be a better option.”

verdict

Without the full life cycle assessments mentioned by Nixon, it would be impossible to say definitively which approach would be best for the environment. However, given the scale of the virgin TP problem, these alternatives are only a step in the right direction.

Whichever route you choose, shortening is key. “Before we got into this business, I could use up to 12 or 14 sheets in one trip, but then when we started making our own toilet paper I thought, ‘Well that’s quite a lot,’ and it wasn’t hard to bring it to six or eight, “says Reitlman.” I wouldn’t presume to tell anyone else how to do their job other than challenge myself to use a little less – and that starts with that that you are only aware of how many sheets you are using on a particular trip. “

Oh hello! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts on cult favorite wellness brands, and exclusive Well + Good content. Register with Well +, our online community of wellness insiders, and activate your rewards immediately.