7 Eco-Friendly Toilet Papers For a More Sustainable Bathroom

Everybody knows that having a reusable coffee cup and your own straw are essentials when committing to a sustainable lifestyle – but there’s one everyday item that’s often overlooked.

The humble toilet paper has a big environmental impact, but switching to an eco-friendly alternative is luckily easy to do.

Why Toilet Paper is Such a Problem

Although it seems innocent because it dissolves easily and is made of recyclable materials, toilet paper is a paper-based single-use product.

We Cut Down a Lot of Trees To Make Toilet Paper

Disposable paper products are a major contributor to deforestation, with research suggesting that toilet paper production is responsible for the felling of over 7.5 million trees a year in America alone. 

Many companies try to offset this waste and energy-intensive activity by planting new trees. However, this is often done in monocultures, meaning many of the same trees are planted in one place (picture a palm plantation or pine forest).

While all trees are good, what’s really beneficial to the environment is promoting and preserving biodiversity and existing ecosystems – monocultures come with their own set of environmental disadvantages.

It Takes a Lot of Resources & Pollutants To Make Toilet Paper

As well as contributing to deforestation, the production of toilet paper is an energy- and chemical-heavy process.

Any industrial production process takes a lot of power, and harmful pollutants such as chlorine are used to bleach the paper. This increases greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes water supplies.

The More Sustainable Options

Recycled Toilet Paper

Recycled toilet paper reduces waste, and is less damaging to manufacture as it doesn’t directly contribute to deforestation.

However, some recycled toilet paper still uses waste pulp from felled trees to strengthen it, so you should always check the product you buy is Forest Stewardship Council certified. Avoiding bleached paper also reduces the number of chemicals involved in the production process.

However, even recycled toilet paper has problems.

Often, the problem with an ethical product actually lies with the company that produces it.

For example, Georgia Pacific is a big producer of toilet paper, including recycled varieties, and they came out worst in WWF’s 2006 sustainability survey. To be truly sustainable, make sure the company is as ethical as the product.

Bamboo Toilet Paper

Bamboo products are some of the most sustainable on the market – the plant itself is sustainable to grow and manufacture, and the end products are biodegradable. Bamboo paper is also naturally hypoallergenic and softer than recycled options.

The only downside is that it can be a little more expensive, and it is often transported in from China, which can increase its carbon footprint unless the manufacturer offsets this.

Reusable toilet paper

The best way to reduce your environmental impact is to cut down on paper use; the popularity of reusable kitchen towels and beeswax wraps is on the rise, and reusable toilet paper is another great way to do this. 

Many independent sellers make washable toilet paper in fun patterns out of organic cotton or bamboo. Buying reusable toilet paper will set you back a similar amount to a 24 pack of single-use rolls, but it’s durable and easy to clean – just keep a wet-bag near the toilet to place used cloths hygienically.

Although the idea is a little off-putting at first, this is a popular choice among the zero-waste community.

Choosing the Right Brand

The parent company is often more problematic than the product, so when you’re making sustainable choices there are a couple of things to look out for. 

The holy grail amongst bigger companies are certified B Corps. B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental conscience, are fully transparent, and balance profit against purpose. Supporting a B Corp means supporting a very ethical business – not accidentally lining the pockets of an oil baron.

Another option is to support small, independent sellers such as those found on Etsy, who run small scale productions and are genuine about their motives.

7 Great Choices For Eco-friendly Toilet Paper

With all the above in mind, we’ve put together a selection of seven sustainable toilet paper options, including recycled, bamboo, and reusable choices, and a mixture of B-corps and independent sellers.

There are other options out there, but any of these will have you well on your way to a sustainable bathroom.