how to: reduce your toilet paper use

I know it, you know it: we have a toilet paper problem right now.

For many, that problem is that they keep running out and there’s not enough in stores. But from my perspective, the problem is much bigger than that. Americans use a disproportionate amount of toilet paper compared to the rest of the world. And that’s becoming even more obvious in this time of global pandemic which has increased demand and disrupted supply chains.

According to a 2019 article in The Guardian:

“[A] report found that major brands’ refusal to switch to sustainable materials in toilet paper is having a devastating impact on forests and climate. About 28m acres of Canadian boreal forest have been cut down since 1996, an area the size of Pennsylvania. Virgin pulp, the key ingredient in toilet paper, accounted for 23% of Canada’s forest product exports.

Americans are particularly to blame for this crisis. They make up just over 4% of the world’s population, yet account for more than 20% of global tissue consumption. The average four-person household in the US uses over 100lb of toilet paper a year.”

I’ve thought about writing this post for awhile, but avoided it because it’s a bit “icky.” People don’t like potty talk. None of us really want to think about how others clean their bum.

But it’s time. Time to get real. Time to push you to reevaluate your systems. As I see it, there are several easy ways YOU could reduce your toilet paper use. Or at the very least, become a more responsible consumer of the product. Let’s run through them in order of the easiest to hardest changes you could make if you grew up using toilet paper:

EASIEST // Buy thinner toilet paper.
Sacrifice just a tiny bit of luxury. The thinner your paper, the fewer trees were used to make it. You don’t have to have quadruple soft Charmin. I promise. Your bum will be okay.

EASIEST // Use less toilet paper.
Obvious and easy: use fewer squares each time you pee. Teach your kids to do this too; in my experience, they’re big offenders!

EASY // Buy “tree-free” toilet paper (and paper towels and tissues!).
Several companies make toilet paper from bamboo and other resources, such as sugarcane, that are much more renewable than trees. Yes, these products might be a tad more expensive than the big-time name brands, but use a few fewer squares a week and it’ll all even out. Some brands to check out: Who Gives a Crap, Grove Collective, Public Goods, Rebel Green, and Caboo.

MODERATE // Switch to “disposable” cloth for pees.
Cut-up some old cotton clothes that were destined for the landfill anyway. Cut them so they’re about the size of 4 squares of toilet paper. Place them in a container near the toilet. After you use one to wipe, throw it in the trash. Wash your hands.

HARDER // Switch to reusable cloth for pees.
Same as above, but add a bin or wet bag for the used clothes, and then wash in hot water. I use a two compartment wet bag, which allows me to put the clean cloths in the front compartment and then the dirties go in the back compartment. When it’s time to wash, I throw the whole bag in the machine.

HARDER // Buy a bidet or bidet attachment.
I can’t speak to this one first-hand, but I plan to try it out in the near future. Aside from a few bidet experiences in Europe and Japan, I am firmly in the wiping camp. But those in the bidet camp feel strongly that it’s the only way to go. That it’s the cleanliest. People love the relatively inexpensive Tushy toilet attachment, but there are tons of options out there at every price point. Can you say heated seat? Many are sold out at the time being though.

HARDEST // Use cloth for everything.
If you’ve used cloth diapers on your kids, this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. A little poop comes off in the wash. A lot of poop? No. But Most of the poop is going into the toilet, right? Right.

Lastly, remember it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We use a combination of these methods in our house. Any reduction of toilet paper consumption will help the forests. And you wallets!

With that, I’m out. I know it’s easiest to keep doing things the way you’ve always done things, but think about the forest people. Think about the trees. Think about your kids and the air you want them to breath. And they ask yourself if you really, really need super-soft toilet tissue.

What do you think? What do you use? Could you make a change?