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Toilet paper is a staple of almost any household. Sure, it wastes paper, but the alternative is far worse. We thank toilet paper from the bottoms of our bottoms for the service that it provides. There are ways, however, to green your TP use. Here are some of those ways.
- Tear from the top. Someone actually did some thinking, applied some science and found that toilet paper pulled from the top instead of under saves a few squares on every TP application.
- Use recycled toilet paper. There's no point in using freshly killed trees for the dirty job this paper is about to undertake. Seventh Generation is a good choice, but any paper made from mostly recycled content is favorable. Here is the NRDC's list.
- Use toilet paper that hasn't been bleached with chlorine. Chlorine can react with paper to produce dioxins.
- Switch to one-ply.
- Vie for toilet paper that doesn't come with each roll individually wrapped. Save on packaging waste.
- There are scented toilet papers out there. Cottonelle is scented. Why do they make scented toilet paper? It's probably a marketing strategy. Marketers can use sense memory to make us prefer their brand of toilet paper over a non-scented brand. Toilet papers of equal absorbency will often seem "more absorbent" when they are scented. Don't be fooled by the scent. The scent is there to confuse the reptile part of your brain. These scents can cause headaches, allergies or asthma in the chemically sensitive. They can diminish the air quality in your home. They are also unnecessary.
- Buy toilet paper in bulk. Another way to save packaging waste.
- The more squares per roll the better. This also saves packaging waste.
- Recycle your old toilet paper tubes.
More on the Bathroom:
How to Go Green: Bathroom Renovation
Looking for Low Flow Toilet? You Should Be!
Green Your Pee, NASA-Style
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