Conventional bathroom tissue brands are made with virgin paper (10 million trees cut down annually – usually from temperate northern forests that are home to grizzly bears, moose and elk). The paper is then bleached with chlorine to make it white (or dyed with chemicals for coloured toilet paper) and usually sold in plastic packaging. And most ‘luxury toilet paper’ is too thick to flush properly, so ends up clogging drains that can cause hefty plumbers’ bills and garden floods. Most people don’t own bidets (nor use ‘washable toilet paper’) so here are some alternative brands to buy. Also read of sustainable wet wipe alternatives.
Bathroom Tissue made from Recycled Paper
This is the most eco-friendly and affordable choice, as it can be locally made. Who Gives a Crap? offers 400-sheet rolls of 3-ply recycled paper bathroom tissue in fun paper packaging, with 50% of profits used to bring clean sanitation to people who need it. Use code TP4EVA for £5 off subscription (one time discount valid for new subscribers, not to use with other discount codes).
Serious Tissues is made in the Midlands from 100% recycled newspapers and cereal boxes, free from dyes and scents and sold in plastic-free packaging. Each roll contains 250 rolls of thick 2-ply paper (better value than supermarket brands) and uses non-chlorine bleach to remove inks. The company can supply wholesale to shops, offices, pubs, restaurants, hotels, tourism establishments etc. A tree is planted for each box sold.
Tesco & Sainsbury’s both offer recycled paper bathroom tissue in paper packaging. But their 2-ply sheets have less on a roll, so you’ll use more (so a false economy compared to above brands).
Super-Soft Bamboo Bathroom Tissue
Which? recently carried out a survey and found many ‘pure bamboo’ toilet paper brands contain only small percentages of bamboo fibres, mixed with eucalyptus – Spain has now banned new plantations, due to these highly flammable trees causing wildfires, when over-planted. Bamboo is used because it’s a naturally-fast growing grass, but it grows in China, so obviously has to be shipped here, and is more expensive.
The reason that it’s used is because it’s silky soft, so often used as an alternative to luxury brands. Who Gives a Crap? is one brand found to use 100% bamboo (and again, it’s sold in paper packaging with 50% of profits helping to bring clean sanitation to developing countries).
How to Unblock a Clogged Toilet
Pour a cup or two of baking soda into the toilet pan, then follow with the same amount of cleaning vinegar (it will fizz). Then after 10 minutes, pour a kettle of water into the pan. This should clear it, if not repeat one or two more times.
Luigi toilet plunger is a one-time £15 purchase that is 8 times stronger and flexible to go right inside the u-bend to unclog toilets. It’s also easy to clean (just add a little oxygen bleach (not chlorine bleach) to the toilet bowl, then plunge in clean water).
