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Green Alternatives for Your Bathroom

At Sustainable Stillwater MN, we’re always looking for ways to lessen our environmental impact, so let's discuss an everyday item that often gets overlooked: toilet paper.


Conventional toilet paper has a surprisingly big environmental footprint, but greener alternatives exist. Let's explore these options and see how we can make more sustainable choices.


If you’re in the United States, the roll in your bathroom probably comes from trees in North or South America. These sources pose significant environmental problems. Logging in mature forests, which store more carbon than younger trees, harms biodiversity and the climate. Moreover, these projects can displace Indigenous communities.


Reducing the amount of conventional toilet paper your household uses is the best way to mitigate these impacts. But how can you do that without making a big change to your routine?


One of the most straightforward swaps is using toilet paper made from recycled material. Recycled paper helps keep trees in the ground and requires fewer resources to produce. According to the Environmental Paper Network, toilet paper from 100% recycled material uses about half as much water and 37% less energy than virgin fiber. It also produces 70% less greenhouse gas emissions.


who gives a crap toilet paper

Bamboo toilet paper is another promising alternative. Bamboo grows quickly and requires less land and water to produce than trees. However, it's essential to check for a Forest Stewardship Council label to ensure forests weren't cleared to grow the bamboo. One of our favorite Bamboo toilet paper suppliers is Who Gives A Crap - Learn more about them here.


For those ready to make a significant change, bidets offer a less paper solution. Bidet toilet seats use a jet of water for cleaning, significantly reducing toilet paper use. While it may seem counterintuitive, bidets use less water than producing toilet paper. This makes bidets a water-efficient alternative, and they also eliminate the environmental impact associated with agroforestry and pulping. Give the TUSHY Classic bidet attachment a try.


Tushy bidet numbers

At Sustainable Stillwater MN, we encourage you to consider these greener alternatives for your bathroom routine. Whether you choose recycled paper, bamboo, or a bidet, every step towards sustainability counts.


Making mindful choices about everyday products like toilet paper can have a significant impact on our environment.


Let’s do our part to reduce our carbon footprint and preserve our planet for future generations.



 

For further reading, check out the original article by Elizabeth Anne Brown in the New York Times, published on July 15, 2024, titled “What’s Greenest and Cleanest When Nature Calls?

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