We use toilet paper every day in the western world, and it’s something that we barely think about. So, I started wondering: how does our use of toilet paper affect the environment?
After toilet paper is flushed, it will eventually biodegrade. This means that unless there is a leak in your sewage system, toilet paper will not, in itself, pollute the environment.
However, this doesn’t mean that toilet paper is harmless for the environment.
The reality is that toilet paper manufacturing releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Toilet paper (as with most manufactured products) is contributing to climate change.
While toilet paper is biodegradable, it’s important to understand that any process of manufacturing will emit greenhouse gases. Trees also have to be cut down to make toilet paper, which is a paper product.
Toilet paper is made of either virgin pulp or recycled waste paper. Virgin pulp is (as its name suggests) pulp that does not contain any recycled material.
Today, the majority of toilet paper is made out of virgin pulp. This is a big problem, because the carbon footprint of toilet paper made from virgin pulp is much higher than that of toilet paper made from recycled waste paper.
I’ll talk about that more later, but first let’s go over how much toilet paper we really use:
Toilet Paper Consumption Facts
So, how much toilet paper do we really use, and is it a big problem?
The per capita toilet paper consumption of American consumers is a lot higher than that of other countries around the world.
An average American uses about 24 rolls of toilet paper every year and collectively Americans spend about $8 billion per year on toilet paper.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, each person in the United States consumes about 50 pounds of tissue paper (including toilet paper) per year, which adds up to about 15 billion pounds of tissue consumed per year by the entire country. That equals to about 20% of the entire tissue paper products supply in the world.
For context, Americans only make up about 4% of the world’s population.
Now, I’m not asking you to stop using toilet paper (that would be absurd!). However, you could buy more toilet paper made from recycled sources, or use alternatives to toilet paper (I’ll talk more about this later).
But first, let’s compare the environmental impact of recycled waste paper vs. virgin pulp, so you can get a better idea of the situation:
Environmental Impact of Virgin Pulp vs Recycled Waste Paper
The production of virgin pulp toilet paper emits 30% more greenhouse gases than when recycled waste paper is used.
The greenhouse gas emissions from just the production of wood pulp, which is then used to manufacture tissue paper, is about three times higher than what’s emitted during the collection and transportation of recycled waste paper.
But, it’s not just the greenhouse gas emissions that are a worry.
The process of cleaning and preparing pulp requires water, which is essentially wasted and harms the environment as well. In fact, 37 gallons of water (140 litres) is needed to manufacture a single roll of toilet paper.
Even worse, chlorine is used to bleach the pulp and turn it white, while other chemicals are used to soften the pulp in order to produce soft toilet paper.
This all leads to local water bodies being polluted.
The other equally important reason why using virgin pulp for the production of toilet makes no sense at all is that toilet paper is non-recyclable. After it’s used, toilet paper is flushed and gets disintegrated. Hence, using recycled waste paper is a much better choice.
Where Does Virgin Pulp Come From?
The demand for virgin wood pulp and tissue paper products is having a direct adverse effect on the Boreal forest of Canada, which is also referred to as the Amazon of the North.
A report by the National Resources Defense Council and Stand.earth, titled ‘The Issue with Tissue: How the U.S. Is Flushing Forests Away’, has revealed that between 1996 and 2015, over 28 million acres of the Canadian Boreal forest had been logged.
The majority of this logged wood was turned into pulp to meet the demands of the tissue products industry, and the primary destination was the United States.
But it’s not just Canadian forests that are being logged to meet the demands of the tissue products industry:
A study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture found that timber companies had logged about 13% of the total old-growth and climax species forest in the Pacific Northwest, between 1996 and 2006.
This was on privately owned land, and not in state park nor national forests, but it’s an alarming figure nonetheless.
And even though some states like Oregon require timber companies to plant new trees, they only plant certain fast-growing trees, which disrupts the natural ecology of the region.
Deforestation also causes a variety of other negative side effects. For example, it leads to habitat loss, soil erosion, and also reduces the quality of soil over the long term.
How can you help?
Use Sustainable Toilet Paper
Buying more sustainably-made toilet paper products is a great way to start trying to solve this environmental issue.
The NRDC and Stand.earth report also includes a sustainability scorecard that grades various brands of toilet papers, paper towels, and facial tissues, which informs consumers about the environmental impact of each brand.
There are several brands of toilet papers, like Green Forest, 365 Everyday Value, Earth First, Natural Value, Seventh Generation and Tender Joe’s Bath Tissue that are competitively priced and have minimal impact on forests. The six brands mentioned above exclusively use recycled waste paper to make toilet paper and do not use chlorine to bleach pulp.
Get a Bidet
You could also consider ditching toilet paper altogether and buy a bidet instead.A bidet is a device that sprays water to clean your bottom after you go to the bathroom.
The reason most people prefer toilet paper is because of the stigma attached to cleaning yourself with water after using the bathroom. However, if you can overcome this mental block, you can consider getting a bidet for your home. As a matter of fact, bidets are actually more hygienic than toilet paper!
Think about it this way: if a bird pooped on you, you would wash it off with water, not wipe it off with tissue paper. The same applies for a bidet after we go to the bathroom.
Bidets are significantly more efficient than toilet paper and have a considerably smaller environmental impact. In a standard bidet, about half a liter of water is used in a minute. This equals to about an eighth of a gallon per use.
In comparison, 37 gallons (140 litres) of water is used to manufacture a single roll of toilet paper. All of that water is essentially wasted, which further harms the environment.
I’ve recently been sent a bidet by TUSHY to try out (Thanks TUSHY!). It’s an attachment that fits under your toilet seat and requires no special tools for installation (except a screwdriver). I haven’t used it enough to put out a full review yet, but you can check out other customer reviews on their website.
Update: I’ve recently published a full Tushy Bidet review on my blog. After using it for over 6 months I can comfortably say that buying a bidet will be the best choice of your life. But, don’t just take my word for it here – check out my review and see for yourself.
Their most basic bidets cost less than $100 and best of all, you can get an extra 5% off all orders at their website by clicking the link below and using promo code “5OFFTUSHY” at checkout. Check them out!
Get 5% off all orders with code 5OFFTUSHY!
Disclaimer: Buying your TUSHY products through my link will make me a small commission, but you won’t be charged any extra (in fact, you’ll actually save 5%!). Thanks for supporting me and my blog! 🙂
Don’t Use Wet Wipes!
Wet wipes have also been touted as an alternative to toilet paper, but they’re actually equally bad or maybe even worse than toilet paper. Wet wipes are made from plastic, which makes them non-biodegradable. If that isn’t bad enough, wet wipes are also known to clog sewer systems.
15 Surprising Toilet Paper Facts (Infographic)
The infographic below will show you some more facts about toilet paper (and its environmental impact) that you may find interesting.
To Wrap Up
Unfortunately, manufacturers are unlikely to change their ways unless consumers demand accountability.
Hopefully, knowing about the environmental impact and carbon footprint of toilet paper will convince you to look for alternatives, or at least opt for toilet paper made sustainably with recycled waste paper.
About the Author: Megan Hudson
With a passion for green living, Megan is a freelance writer who focuses on environmental issues, politics, and interior design. Her weakness in life — coffee, wine, oversized sweaters, and a good read.
Last Updated: 2021-03-11
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FAQs
How is toilet paper harmful to the environment? ›
A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reveals that the biggest toilet paper brands on the market—like Charmin, Cottonelle, and Quilted Northern—are contributing to global warming by destroying forests that pull carbon from the atmosphere.
What is the impact of paper on the environment? ›The environmental effects of paper production include deforestation, the use of enormous amounts of energy and water as well as air pollution and waste problems. Paper accounts for around 26% of total waste at landfills.
How much waste does toilet paper cause? ›The numbers about toilet paper consumption are staggering. Around the world, the equivalent of 270,000 trees are flushed down the toilet or find their way into landfills every day. About 10% of that — the equivalent of 27,000 trees would be from toilet paper. That's about 15 million per year.
Does toilet paper pollute the ocean? ›Air and water pollution
They also use other chemicals to soften wood fibers to produce soft toilet paper. Until the mid-1990s, most tissue manufacturers made use of elemental chlorine in their bleach. Elemental chlorine releases dioxins, causing air and water pollution.
These toxic substances enter through our skin and get into our blood stream. The most dangerous of these toxins is chlorine and unfortunately, most conventional toilet paper is processed with chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach creates dangerous toxins such as dioxin and furans.
Is using toilet paper environmentally friendly? ›Technically, all toilet paper is biodegradable as it is made up of natural materials such as wood pulp. But, products classed as biodegradable toilet paper are different to regular toilet tissue.
What are the effects of paper waste? ›Pulp and paper is the 3rd largest industrial polluter of air, water and soil. Chlorine-based bleaches are used during production which results in toxic materials being released into our water, air and soil. When paper rots, it emits methane gas which is 25 times more toxic than CO2.
What are some facts about paper pollution? ›On average Americans use 7 trees per person a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to approximately 2 billion trees per year! An estimated 18 million acres of forest are lost each year to paper production. That's the equivalent of 20 football fields every minute.
What are the positive impacts of paper? ›- It's versatile. Paper is categorised into three principal types – printing and writing, packaging and tissue – and chances are that we use each kind every day. ...
- It's renewable. ...
- It's recyclable. ...
- It's good for the environment. ...
- It's good for the economy.
Annually, it takes 1.7 trillion liters (437 billion gallons) of water, 253,000 tons of bleach, and 15 million trees to feed America's toilet paper habit. Fifteen percent of deforestation is due to toilet paper production alone, according to the Natural Resource Defense Council.
Is recycled toilet paper better for the environment? ›
Recycled Toilet Paper
According to the NRDC, recycling paper into bathroom tissue requires less water and energy and creates less air and water pollution than making bathroom tissue from timber; however, consumers should beware of misleading marketing claims and lurking chemicals.
Water is best suited for people who are sensitive to toilet paper. If clean water is used, it reduces the inherent chances of infection that toilet paper causes when one forgets to wipe from FRONT to BACK. It's economical to use water.
What is the carbon footprint of toilet paper? ›The average carbon footprint of tissue papers produced at Metsä Tissue's mills was 1.4 t CO2e per tonne of paper. The average European consumes around 12.8 kg of toilet paper a year, which is equivalent to approximately 17.92 kg of CO2.
How much water is used in toilet paper? ›Toilet paper is actually made using a fair amount of water. According to our estimates, it takes about 6 gallons of water to make one roll of toilet paper.
Does toilet paper have harmful chemicals? ›The presence of phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and semi-volatile chlorinated organic compounds (SVCOC) in toilet tissue papers may be detrimental to the health of consumers upon exposure.
What are the benefits of toilet paper? ›Disposable tissue products help reduce the spread of bacteria and communicable diseases and are hygienic and convenient to boot.
What are major environmental problems? ›These include pollution, overpopulation, waste disposal, climate change, global warming, the greenhouse effect, etc.
How do you reduce toilet paper waste? ›Make sure everyone in your household understands they should always fold the toilet tissue when they use it. Many people tend to wad it up, but this provides less surface area and requires more paper. By folding, you are given more surface area for actual use and you will be able to get by without using so much.
How long does it take toilet paper to decompose? ›Toilet paper can take 5 weeks or more to biodegrade, depending on whether it's been buried or not. Kleenex would theoretically take a little longer, if using ones that are thicker than toilet paper. Wet wipes take around 100 years to decompose. Dog poop bags biodegrade in around 10-20 years.
How long does toilet paper take to decompose in water? ›Toilet paper easily dissolves in water in a process that takes anywhere from one to four minutes. Toilet paper's quick-dissolve qualities are engineered to help it pass through pipes or septic systems, and to be processed by municipal sewer treatment plants.
How does paper waste affect human health? ›
Littered areas breed bacteria and attract insects and rodents, which spread the bacteria and cause illness. Paper contains toxins that seep into soil as the paper decomposes. These toxins are carried into waterways via storm water. Animals eat litter and become ill or die.
Why should we reduce paper waste? ›The production of that much paper requires four trees and 1,740 gallons of water. All of this emphasizes the importance of reducing the amount of paper we print. Recycling paper is great, but saving paper by not printing at all will save your office money, use less water, conserve energy, and help preserve adult trees!
What will happen if we don't recycle paper? ›If you don't recycle your used paper and instead throw it into the trash, it goes where all trash goes -- to the landfill. The EPA cites landfills as the single largest source of methane emissions to the atmosphere, and has identified the decomposition of paper as among the most significant sources of landfill methane.
Did you know facts about paper? ›- You might be surprised to learn that the first paper was made from recycled materials. ...
- The art of folding paper, Origami, was invented in Japan in the 6th Century but strictly reserved for ceremonial purposes. ...
- Paper has teeth! ...
- Paper also has a weight.
Even as technology becomes the norm, we see paper products everywhere we go. One tree makes over 8,000 pieces of paper while approximately 1/500th of a tree is cut down for every piece of paper. Americans use over 850,000,000 pieces of paper per year, equalling over 106,000 trees.
Can waste paper be recycled? ›Paper is biodegradable as it is made from plant materials and is biodegradable in most plant materials. Paper is quickly recycled and can be reused six or seven times before paper fibres become too small to be used to manufacture paper.
Is paper waste a problem? ›Paper Waste is a severe problem in many industries and offices. Because of printing mistakes, junk mails, billings, and packaging, the paper may comprise up to 70% of a company's total waste. An average office employee would be using about 10,000 sheets of paper in a year.
Is using a lot of paper bad for the environment? ›Pulp and paper mills contribute to air, water and land pollution and discarded paper and paperboard make up roughly 26% of solid municipal waste in landfill sites. Pulp and paper generates the third largest amount of industrial air, water, and land emissions in Canada and the sixth largest in the United States.
What are 5 benefits of recycling? ›- Recycling reduces waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
- Recycling prevents pollution.
- Recycling conserves natural resources.
- Recycling conserves energy.
- Recycling creates jobs, producing economic benefits.
We may be wondering whether the tissue paper has an environmental impact or not, the answer is Yes. Though the tissue papers are made from virgin pulp and recycled waste paper, the fact is that the production of the tissue papers from virgin pulp emits 30% more greenhouse gases when recycled waste paper is used.
What is eco-friendly paper? ›
Eco-friendly paper is exactly as the name implies: A greener version of traditional paper or mill made paper, with a zero-carbon footprint and an overall environmental impact. There are numerous eco-friendly papers. Amongst those, upcycled paper and recycled paper are the most sustainable paper.
What is the greenest toilet paper? ›Recycled paper is considered by many as the most environmentally friendly toilet paper as it uses recycled materials and causes much less disruption to the earth. However, Bamboo toilet paper such as Bampers Bamboo toilet paper is ethically sourced and made and is softer and tougher than most recycled toilet paper.
How many trees are destroyed for toilet paper? ›Toilet Paper Wastage
Approximately 27,000 trees are cut down every day just to make toilet paper. Over seven billion rolls of toilet paper are sold in America alone each year. This amounts to around 141 rolls per person, or 12.7 kilograms (28 lbs.) of paper.
Global use of toilet paper
Worldwide, 42 million tons of toilet paper is used every year. That's about 184 million rolls or 22 billion kilometers of toilet paper that if spread out would cover or an area of 2.2 million square kilometers.
Toilet papering can be an initiation, a joke, a prank, or an act of revenge. It is common in the United States and frequently takes place on Halloween, April Fools' Day, or after the completion of school events such as graduation or the homecoming football game.
What is toilet paper made of? ›Toilet paper today is mostly manufactured from a "chemical pulp," but it all comes from paper. Forms of paper used in the production of tissue paper can include various forms of recylced paper, virgin tree pulp, as well as hemp plants. The main materials used to prodcue toilet paper include: Water.
Which is better for environment recycled or bamboo toilet paper? ›Recycled toilet paper produces around 30% fewer carbon emissions than traditional loo roll, purely because it requires less water and energy and creates less air and water pollution. Bamboo toilet paper goes even further though, producing a massive 65% less carbon than regular toilet paper.
How do you dispose of toilet tissue? ›It's impossible to recycle toilet paper because it's made from paper that's been recycled multiple times. So, attempting to continue the cycle will produce a pulp material. On the other hand, you can't recycle used toilet paper because it's mostly used for unsanitary purposes.
Does toilet paper cause deforestation? ›Annually, it takes 1.7 trillion liters (437 billion gallons) of water, 253,000 tons of bleach, and 15 million trees to feed America's toilet paper habit. Fifteen percent of deforestation is due to toilet paper production alone, according to the Natural Resource Defense Council.
Does tissue paper cause pollution? ›We may be wondering whether the tissue paper has an environmental impact or not, the answer is Yes. Though the tissue papers are made from virgin pulp and recycled waste paper, the fact is that the production of the tissue papers from virgin pulp emits 30% more greenhouse gases when recycled waste paper is used.
What is the carbon footprint of toilet paper? ›
The average carbon footprint of tissue papers produced at Metsä Tissue's mills was 1.4 t CO2e per tonne of paper. The average European consumes around 12.8 kg of toilet paper a year, which is equivalent to approximately 17.92 kg of CO2.
How many trees are destroyed for toilet paper? ›Toilet Paper Wastage
Approximately 27,000 trees are cut down every day just to make toilet paper. Over seven billion rolls of toilet paper are sold in America alone each year. This amounts to around 141 rolls per person, or 12.7 kilograms (28 lbs.) of paper.
About 70% - 75 % of the world's population does not use toilet paper. People in some parts of the world do not use toilet paper due to a lack of trees. Some people don't use toilet paper because they can't afford it. A lot of people would rather not spend money of fancy paper to wipe their behinds.
What are major environmental problems? ›These include pollution, overpopulation, waste disposal, climate change, global warming, the greenhouse effect, etc.
How much toilet paper is wasted per year? ›Global use of toilet paper
Worldwide, 42 million tons of toilet paper is used every year. That's about 184 million rolls or 22 billion kilometers of toilet paper that if spread out would cover or an area of 2.2 million square kilometers.
Toilet paper impacted society in a negative way because people have to cut down trees to get the paper and that's what makes the animals not have many homes. Toilet paper has impacted the society in a positive way because now people can be more sanitary and they don't have to use rough materials to clean up with.
Can you use toilet paper on a baby? ›Even so, it can cause some health complications, such as infection or … anal fissures. In particular, Rose George – a hygienist said, “Toilet paper can be used to clean, but can't completely eliminate the poop.” In addition, another tool used to clean the baby is baby wipe.
What is cowboy toilet paper? ›Cowboy's toilet paper is an invasive wildflower that is native to Eurasia and Africa. It is a biennial, meaning that it lives for two years. During the first year, it grows close to the ground as a basal rosette of leaves.
How do seniors clean after a bowel movement? ›Use Wipes in Addition to Toilet Paper
The rest is common sense, folks, using wipes to clean everything up after using toilet paper.
And a bidet doesn't involve constant carbon-emitting transportation (think of the energy needed to get TP from the manufacturer to the store to your home) or regular packaging waste. Installing a bidet is clearly a more environmentally friendly choice than running through endless rolls of toilet paper.
What is toilet paper made of? ›
Toilet paper today is mostly manufactured from a "chemical pulp," but it all comes from paper. Forms of paper used in the production of tissue paper can include various forms of recylced paper, virgin tree pulp, as well as hemp plants. The main materials used to prodcue toilet paper include: Water.
What happens to toilet paper? ›In water, those fibres quickly come untangled and form a thin sludge that's easily carried by the water flow in the sewage system.By the time it reaches the sewage treatment plant, most of the toilet paper has completely disintegrated, and goes straight to the sludge digester tanks to be broken down into compost, along ...