A Quick Tip for Going Green in the Bathroom

What is one product that you use multiple times a day, but have never thought about the effect it has on the environment? For most people that product is probably toilet paper. The average American uses over 100 single rolls of toilet paper each year, but do you ever stop and think of where it comes from? Most people pick out their toilet paper based on price and feel and never think about the environmental impact.

Tips for Going Green in the Bathroom

Image by Dominik Schwind

Standard toilet paper is made with more than 90% virgin paper fibers. Millions of trees are cut down yearly to keep up with the demand for super-soft toilet paper. 25-50 percent of the pulp used to make toilet paper in the U.S. comes from tree farms in South America and the U.S. ultimately contributing to global warming. Since the paper industry is the third largest emitter of toxic pollutants, the production of toilet paper impacts the environment in more ways than one.
Recycled paper, although not quite as soft and a little more expensive, is just as effective in doing the job and reduced the amount of trees cut down and toxins released in the production of paper products. It is made from recycled paper, so no new trees are cut down in the process. According to Seventh Generation, if every household in the U.S. would switch out just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper for a recycled roll, 933,000 trees would be saved and 60,000 tons of emissions would be avoided.