Eco News

all about toilet roll

Toilet paper is only actually used by around 30% of the world's population. In the UK it is thought of as a necessity for many of us, with fears of running out sparking the recent panic buying, but why are some toilet papers so bad for the environment and what are the eco-friendly alternatives?

Why is toilet paper so bad?

Soft toilet paper (made from virgin woods) is said to be bad for the environment. It takes a huge amount of trees and water to produce this toilet paper - leading to deforestation. There is also the issue of chlorine dioxide, which is used to bleach and soften some toilet paper. This can be considered an environmental hazard which can get into the sewage system and can apparently pollute the water.

However some brands of toilet paper made from virgin woods are now giving back to the environment and working on projects to plant more trees.

What are the eco-friendly alternatives?

Family cloths: A family cloth is a truly reusable and affordable alternative to toilet paper. Basically it's a piece of cloth that is washed and reused. There are many different family cloths available to buy or you could just use a flannel.

Bidet: Although the bidet requires water, another valuable resource, it actually requires far less water than the amount used to produce a roll of toilet paper and is generally more hygienic.

Recycled: Recycled toilet paper can seem like a better alternative to non-recycled for today's eco-conscious consumer but are there hidden dangers?

Recycled paper products including toilet paper, kitchen roll etc can contain very small amounts of BPA. This is because we recycle receipts, lottery tickets, shipping labels etc. They all can contain BPA and get mixed in with our other paper products so the BPA eventually ends up in our recycled paper products.

Hemp: Made from hemp plants that consist of hemp cellulose fibres that are easily renewable and more economical than producing tissues from trees. Hemp toilet paper is biodegradable and it actually decays faster than normal tissue paper made from trees.

Bamboo: Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, growing 30 times faster than trees and absorbing 30% more carbon and producing 30% more oxygen makes it extremely sustainable. It can grow on any type of land and it doesn't need help from fertilisers or pesticides.

By using bamboo products, trees are left alone helping the deforestation problem. Bamboo is bio-degradable and also incredibly soft and absorbent.

Plus, many of the bamboo toilet rolls available come in cardboard boxes and are either supplied naked or wrapped in recyclable paper packaging instead of being wrapped in single use plastic.

STOP BURNING, SAVE LIVES

During these unprecedented times we are all fighting a respiratory virus that puts pressure on our lungs and on our heroic emergency services.

Smoke from BONFIRES & other home burning, particularly affects those with underlying respiratory conditions, such as asthmatics, as well as exacerbating symptoms in Covid19

sufferers and those recovering at home. We are all in this together and all on Lock Down - so we ask residents to PLEASE STOP BURNING for the duration of the pandemic.

Thank you for looking out for your neighbours and our heroes in the NHS and Fire Service.