Bamboo Toilet paper may look like one of the most mundane things in your home. It’s just paper, after all. Things work differently in real life. The old process of making it includes bleaching, chemical softening and treatments to make it so fluffy. The treatments that make toilet paper enjoyable to use come at the cost of adding chemicals most of us wouldn’t want anywhere near our most sensitive skin.
If you consider the frequency with which your body comes into contact with toilet paper, not wishing to know what hidden ingredients it harbours is natural. Other types of paper do not touch skin, which is thinner and more sensitive. This provides an easy route for such chemicals to seep into your body.
One of the biggest issues with normal toilet paper is that it is bleached. Chlorine bleaching is used by manufacturers in an attempt to get the snowy white finish. Chlorine doesn’t simply disappear, though.
Dioxins are particularly challenging because they accumulate in the body. They also act as hormone disruptors and have been associated with birth defects and weakened immune systems. Although the amounts in a single sheet of toilet paper may be too small to have any significance, repeated exposure is the key.
One of the producers has already begun replacing these with alternatives like chlorine dioxide, which is comparatively less toxic in nature, but even those are not toxin-free when it comes to leaving toxic residues behind.
And yet another unexpected chemical that crops up in toilet paper production on an occasional basis is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde comes in the form of wet strength agents that help strengthen the paper even after it gets wet. That might seem beneficial, but formaldehyde is also a known skin irritant and allergen.
Long exposure, even in small amounts, is liable to cause rashes or sensitivity. Much worse still, formaldehyde is rated as a suspected human carcinogen. For something that’s going to wrap around your body’s most sensitive areas, that’s a serious defect.
Did you see “scented” or “aloe-infused” toilet paper on the store shelves? While they might sound like luxury, they introduce yet another set of chemicals you don’t want in the mixture. Chemical perfumes are notorious offenders of allergy and irritation.
Similarly, additional moisturisers or creams in toilet paper have parabens or chemical ingredients that interfere with the natural balance of your skin. Whether the products are prescribed as calming and gentle, they end up doing more harm than good to you, particularly those with sensitive skin.
We are not merely interested in the production process. Normal bamboo toilet paper will most likely enter the world as wood pulp, and virgin to boot. The trees that are part of the process may have been sprayed with pesticides, which do not disappear along the line of production supply. Although small amounts may be infinitesimal, they are unwanted contaminants.
Moreover, recycled toilet paper, being better in theory, sometimes contains traces of inks or dyes applied in the parent paper. Short of being flushed out nicely, they will end up entering the product too.
Aside from the health of the individual, chemicals present in ordinary toilet paper are also destructive to the environment. Chlorine bleaching has been shown to pollute water and poison rivers and ecosystems with harmful by-products. The process of manufacturing is also extensive, which burns a great deal of virgin wood that causes deforestation as well as habitat loss.
Flushing chemically treated toilet paper not only eliminates waste below through the pipes. It leads to chemical contamination that sewage treatment facilities could have difficulty eliminating. This has a lasting impact to influence water and other aquatic life as well as the environment in general.
When purchasing toilet paper, look for the following:
“PCF” (Processed Chlorine-Free) or “TCF” (Totally Chlorine-Free) should be published on the package. This decreases the likelihood of harmful remains.
Steer clear of fragrant or lotion-coated products. Plain is best as far as skin health goes.
Print on paper resulting from alternative fibres like bamboo or recycled fibre. They lessen virgin wood usage.
EcoCert and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certifications are examples of third-party certifications that ensure products are socially and environmentally responsible.
In the past of toilet paper, the advent of bamboo-made products is a move in the right direction. In contrast to wood, bamboo produces over time, doesn’t require chemicals or water, and regrows after being cut. It is therefore eco-friendly and maintainable.
Bamboo is showing its flexibility even when used in other local items. Bamboo toilet tissue is a gentler, more environmentally friendly substitute, and bamboo kitchen rolls are finding popularity owing to their absorbency and environmental sustainability.
It is simple enough to dismiss toilet paper as irrelevant. But looking at your usage multiplied by all the billions of humans on this planet, the magnitude of its use becomes obvious. Playing with a somewhat more natural, biodegradable alternative to chemically treated paper can be one that makes some actual difference in your own chemical consumption and pollution path.
It’s not about revolutionising your life entirely in one evening. It’s about asserting that all the small things count. Committing to better toilet paper is a small choice, but it’s a loud message to companies and sets the momentum for cleaner, safer things.
So what’s hiding in your regular toilet paper? The reality is far more sinister than most of us would have the remotest idea: chlorine byproducts, formaldehyde, artificial fragrances, and even pesticides. Not only can these toxins potentially irritate your skin, but they are all contributing factors to greater issues within the environment.
The good news is, you don’t have to keep relying on them. Safer, cleaner options are all around you, and one of the better ones is bamboo toilet roll. Simple to make this transition; it keeps your health in check, reduces your footprint and helps make tomorrow cleaner.
The next time you are out running errands, take a second before you reach for your typical package. Think about whether or not you really want all those hidden chemicals on and in your body and in the world around you. With some good choices now available, it is not a difficult choice.
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