I read this article http://grist.org/list/lets-ban-toilet-paper/ saying how the consumption of toilet paper has surpassed newspaper. Now this didn’t really struck me hard. Less and less people are reading the newspaper; getting their news via smartphones or tablets. However what struck me is that making toilet paper from virgin wood is worse than driving a hummer in terms of its environmental impact.
‘Virgin wood? why not use recycled stuff?’ is what you may be asking, but demand for super-soft toilet paper is 98% made from virgin wood pulp. And of course, demand comes with money that comes with profit that comes from using more resources that is abundant in this world – NO! This article states that in US alone, 7 million eucalyptus trees are being cut down for our bums. Now imagine the whole world altogether, we are wiping out a large populations of trees! Maybe instead of trying to build hybrid cars, why not stop using toilet paper? (Yes, I do realized its essential for everyday…for now)
I remember when I was younger (No I’m not that old) my mom would buy the most economical toilet paper which was often rough and less white coloured. My mom is one of those people who is those use-every-coupon-you-can, save money women. Lately she has started to buy these super-soft toilet paper as well. What does this mean? The market for soft toilet paper is so great that they are able to manufacture it at a very low cost thus selling it at prices that is equal to rough toilet paper. This also means that you don’t really get a choice in what you buy(I’m sure there’re people who will argue that).
Well then what’s the solution? Honestly, I don’t have one. Perhaps the best thing to do now is to use these toilet paper mindlessly. Yes, that means you don’t need a whole meter just to wipe that bum. Also don’t use toilet paper to wipe things, use a cloth instead! Its reusable, and durable. If your wiping something gross and you want a one-time use solution, get an old shirt and cut it up (hey if its that old, its going to the dumpster anyways). And say if you don’t have a choice and have to use toilet paper or napkin to wipe something, throw it into a composting bin. Yes, they are 100% recyclable – or at least they should be….
