toilet paper. We use it every day without thinking. The United States is the world’s largest consumer of toilet paper. Each year, the average household uses an equivalent roll approximately 409 times;
Major toilet paper brands, including Charmin and Kirkland Signature, are harming the environment by using primarily freshly cut trees to make their products, according to a National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report called “Tissue Matters.”
Every day, 27,000 trees are cut down to make toilet paper. But there is a more eco-friendly alternative: bamboo.
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth and can grow 3 feet in 24 hours without any fertilizers or pesticides. It does not need to be replanted and only needs to be harvested once a year. It does not require as much water as deciduous trees and produces 35% more oxygen, which is returned to the environment.
It also provides excellent soil erosion control. Bamboo roots extend to form a barrier that prevents erosion and helps the soil retain nutrients.
California-based brand Reel Paper uses bamboo to produce biodegradable, plastic-free, 3-ply toilet paper. By purchasing rolling paper instead of regular brands, you can help reduce deforestation.
Toilet paper use in the United States has had a “huge” impact on forests, especially Canada’s boreal forest, which is home to 600 Indigenous communities and covers nearly 60 percent of the country, according to the NRDC.
Forests not only provide homes for people and wildlife, but also play an important role in combating the climate crisis. It absorbs exhaust emissions equivalent to 24 million cars per year. But since 1996, about 28 million acres have been cleared. 23% of forest exports are virgin cellulose, one of the main components of toilet paper.
“Over 27,000 trees are cut down every day to make toilet paper, and we felt the need to do something about it,” Derin Oyekan, co-founder of Reel Paper, told LIVEKINDLY.
“We founded Reel to provide a greener, greener option for creating something that almost everyone uses,” he continued. “We’re just beginning to achieve our mission of moving people away from wood-based paper products.”
By choosing Reel Paper, you are also supporting the non-profit organization SOIL Haiti. The brand’s partners work to remove waste and provide toilets to communities in need. According to the organization, only 30% of Haiti’s population has access to improved sanitation facilities.
According to the United Nations, 4.2 billion people worldwide live without safe sanitation – “hygienic private toilets that can safely dispose of human waste.” This could lead to many people defecating in the open, leading to the spread of diseases such as cholera.
SOIL’s work in Haiti helps prevent the spread of water-borne diseases while protecting fragile aquatic ecosystems. The waste collected by the nonprofit is safely recycled and turned into compost, which is then sold to support reforestation and climate change mitigation efforts.
“We are extremely proud of our partnership with SOIL,” said Michael McGarry, brand manager for Reel Paper. “Not only do they provide much-needed toilets to those who need them, but they also turn waste into useful fertilizer that local farmers can use to grow food for their communities.”
Post time: Jun-04-2024