Bamboo Toilet Paper: Is it Eco-Friendly?
We all want to do our part to help save the environment and limit the effects of climate change, but how many of us think of our bathroom habits as a way to do just that? If you’re like most people, it’s probably never occurred to you that one of the biggest sources of waste in your home is being flushed down the toilet every day in the form of traditional toilet paper. Americans consume more toilet paper each year than any other country, and that leads to a ton of waste that has a big impact on our planet and our wallets. If you’ve never heard of bamboo toilet paper, you might be surprised to know that there’s an eco-friendly alternative to traditional toilet paper that not only helps keep you clean but also is even softer and stronger than your current brand.
Traditional Toilet Paper
Like most types of paper, toilet paper is manufactured from trees, of course. About 27,000 trees per day are cut down to manufacture toilet paper, meaning we’re flushing 27,000 trees down the toilet each day. Production of a single roll of traditional toilet paper uses 37 gallons of water, 1.5 pounds of wood, and ⅓ kWh of electricity – and that’s just for one roll! Most of these trees come from old-growth forests that have a ton of biodiversity, so different species of trees are being cut down each day to feed our toilet paper habit. Removal of these forests contributes to deforestation, habitat loss, and an increased impact of greenhouse gases, which are known to affect climate change. Each tree produces just 1,000 rolls of toilet paper, which means that the average American will use over 384 trees worth of toilet paper during their lifetime. Toilet paper is also bleached to give it its clean white appearance, which requires 235,000 tons of chlorine to be used each year. Unfortunately, much of this chlorine ends up in local water supplies. Traditional toilet paper requires about 17.3 terrawatts of electricity per year for manufacturing and transportation, much of which is produced by coal-fired power plants around the world that release greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Finally, the soft plastic used to wrap traditional toilet paper for hygiene is rarely recycled, adding yet more waste into the industry. Fortunately, bamboo toilet paper offers an eco-friendly alternative.
Bamboo Toilet Paper
Unlike traditional toilet paper, 100 percent bamboo toilet paper offers an eco-friendly alternative that keeps you clean and still feels both soft and strong. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth, growing at a rate of three feet over the course of 24 hours. Bamboo can be harvested once a year and doesn’t require replanting, so there’s no need to clear additional land to make room for more bamboo – it just keeps growing! Bamboo uses 30 percent less water than hardwood trees to grow, which helps to protect our water supply, and even better, it produces 35 percent more oxygen than hardwood trees. That extra oxygen helps to clean the air and reduce greenhouse gases, helping to prevent climate change. Incredibly, one acre of bamboo can single handedly remove about 25 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. How’s that for eco-friendly? Bamboo toilet paper is also plastic free from manufacturing to sales, meaning you won’t be unwrapping your soft plastic from around each roll. Don’t worry though, it’s still hygienic and protected, the wrappers are just recyclable!
If you’re looking for an easy eco-friendly change that you can make to your daily routine without sacrificing the softness and strength of traditional toilet paper, bamboo toilet paper offers a soft, strong, and sustainable option. You’ll also use less thanks to the strength of bamboo toilet paper, helping further reduce your waste and keep some extra cash in your bank account at the same time.
