Explore bamboo toilet paper as an eco-friendly option for your home
Bamboo products are becoming increasingly popular due to their many perks. Sustainability, durability, and eco-friendliness are just a few ways to describe the best reasons for using bamboo. Where is it becoming popular? Well, just about everywhere.
Bamboo has many versatile uses. From the construction industry to fashion lines to household essentials, bamboo products are becoming more mainstream.
As a matter of fact, bamboo is becoming especially prevalent in the production of paper, making it a popular choice for those seeking alternatives to traditional paper products, particularly toilet paper.
Perhaps a new type of toilet paper interests you.
If you're concerned about:
- Chemicals used in the processing and manufacturing of traditional toilet paper
- Deforestation caused by the toilet paper industry
- Bringing potentially harmful substances into your home
- Loss of or harm to ecosystems, animal habitats, and biodiversity
If you want to:
- Live a more sustainable life
- Use tree-free paper products
- Buy from sustainable and ethical brands
- Get a quality household essential with ease
Then, it might be time to change the brand of toilet paper currently in your cabinets.
Maybe you just want a great product with the strength and softness to meet your needs. If you've been thinking about an alternative to your current toilet paper, we're here to help inform, educate, and address any questions or concerns associated with a switch.
We're thrilled you're considering another option, and we want you to make a well-informed, sensible decision.
When choosing a new product to incorporate into your daily life, especially for a personal essential like toilet paper, it pays to consider the advantages and disadvantages to see if it's right for your family.
Let's weigh the pros and cons of bamboo toilet paper to see if bamboo should become a staple in your household.
Pros of Bamboo Toilet Paper
We have to admit sustainable toilet paper has a lot of perks! If you're looking for a reliable product that addresses eco concerns and helps you meet sustainable living goals, you're going to get excited about this list of pros!
Sustainability
Bamboo is known for its rapid growth. Some species of the plant can grow feet in just one day under the right conditions. Because of this, bamboo reaches maturity much faster than the decades it takes for hardwood trees to mature. This rapid growth rate and ability to regenerate quickly make bamboo a more sustainable raw material option.
It's also a crop that doesn't require harmful fertilizers or chemical pesticides. That's just one way bamboo crops make for keeping soil healthy.
Harvesting bamboo doesn't disrupt root systems or require replanting to yield new crops. Bamboo is cut and then grows from its existing root systems. These root systems help combat erosion.
In addition, bamboo needs less water to thrive than traditional crops. Growing bamboo means keeping our water supply and soil plentiful and safe.
It's not just water and soil that benefit; the real treat is how it helps our trees!
Bamboo toilet paper puts a serious dent in the deforestation that occurs to sustain the traditional toilet paper industry. Manufacturing conventional toilet paper is responsible for a significant percentage of the 15 million trees lost annually to deforestation.
Along with these trees come delicate soil ecosystems and vibrant animal habitats. Plants and animals that are vital to our earth's health and survival are vulnerable to the devastating effects of deforestation.
Harvesting bamboo crops to produce bamboo toilet paper allows for those critical components of Earth's biodiversity to remain intact, unlike logging practices for traditional toilet paper that raze whole sections of our forests.
Biodiversity is incredibly valuable as it refers to the variety of life on Earth, including the diversity of species, ecosystems, and genetic diversity within species (1). Clean air and water, pollination, and natural pest control are just some of the important functions of biodiversity.
The fact that bamboo toilet paper helps protect this critical component of our existence makes it extremely appealing.
Gentle on the skin
Bamboo is a super plant that is also super strong. Interestingly, bamboo has a stronger tensile strength than steel, and it brings that power to toilet paper. Hardy bamboo fibers make for an incredibly durable product, but you don't have to miss out on softness in return!
Those strong bamboo fibers that make bamboo toilet paper stand up to the toughest jobs and also ensure you have an ultra-comfortable experience.
Bamboo fibers are naturally longer than the fibers of hardwood trees. The extra length improves pliability, and when combined with premium three-ply layers, you'll get the cushy feel you crave.
Biodegradability
Bamboo toilet paper furthers its environmental appeal with its ability to decompose quickly.
Not only is bamboo toilet paper fully biodegradable, but it takes fewer years than traditional and recycled varieties.
It's also safe for all types of toilets. Whether you have the traditional style, an alternative toilet, or use a camper or recreational vehicle, bamboo toilet paper will break down quickly and easily to keep your plumbing running perfectly!
Hypoallergenic and Antibacterial Properties
If you're using traditional toilet paper, it's likely that you're exposing yourself to dyes, fragrances, and other chemicals used for bleaching. Some people, especially those with sensitive skin, could feel the effects of those substances through inflammation or infection.
A National Library of Medicine case study from 2010 concluded that unbleached, minimally processed toilet paper is one of the best ways to relieve the symptoms of an adverse reaction to traditional toilet paper (2).
Hypoallergenic refers to a product or substance that is less likely to contain allergens. An allergen is a substance that can trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals. Bamboo naturally possesses protection from allergens.
Antibacterial and antifungal refer to substances or agents that are used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria or fungi. Guess what? Bamboo has those qualities, too.
Cons of Bamboo Toilet Paper
Let's look at the other side. Despite the many wonderful qualities of bamboo toilet paper, there are some considerations you should make.
Cost
It makes sense to consider your household budget when considering whether or not to replace your current toilet tissue. It's a household staple, so you'll be making regular purchases. Does bamboo fit your budget?
Bamboo toilet paper does have a higher price point than regular store-bought brands. However, with delivery service and discounted subscription options, the price can be comparable.
Ethical Concerns
Any product that harvests our natural resources needs to be held accountable. Bamboo products are no exception.
Whenever you bring up bamboo, many people wonder about the pandas. Certainly, we wouldn't want to be proponents of destroying their primary source of sustenance. Panda habitats are a concern when it comes to sourcing bamboo.
Labor practices in bamboo harvesting can sometimes be exploitative, with workers being underpaid and overworked. Additionally, the expansion of bamboo plantations can lead to the displacement of indigenous people or other communities who rely on the land for their livelihoods.
These cons mean you must buy only from brands that partner with humanitarian organizations or have environmental certifications, like ecoHiny! Only by taking these ethical concerns into account can we truly achieve a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
We abide by the principles set forth by the Forest Stewardship Council and support their mission to promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous management of the world's forests (3).
Bamboo Toilet Paper Could Be For You
Bamboo is quickly making its way into many products in our homes, and one we want you to strongly consider is bamboo toilet paper. As people become more conscious of their impact on the environment, the commonality of bamboo products is expected to continue to grow. Will you be part of spreading the eco-friendly love of bamboo?
Although there are some potential cons of committing to bamboo toilet paper, the pros are pretty powerful. There's no other toilet tissue choice that offers such a versatile alternative to traditional toilet paper.
Give bamboo toilet paper a try and experience all those pros for yourself!
- "What is Biodiversity?" American Museum of Natural History, www.amnh.org/research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/what-is-biodiversity.
- "Chronic vulvar irritation: could toilet paper be the culprit?" National Library of Medicine, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2860827/.
- "Mission and Vision: Protecting Forests for Future Generations." Forest Stewardship Council, us.fsc.org/en-us/what-we-do/mission-and-vision.
