Why using recycled toilet paper is dangerous to your health, and three green, nontoxic and sustainable alternatives to consider instead.
Like many of you good little girls and boys out there trying to be responsible citizens of Planet Earth, I bought recycled toilet paper in an attempt to be more environmentally conscious.
Alas.
This method of going green in the bathroom is not such a good idea after all. In fact, it is a most decidedly BAD idea.
Green does not necessarily mean healthy!
Recycled Toilet Paper is Toxic
Two studies published in Environmental Science & Technology have shown that BPA and cousin chemical BPS used in “BPA free products” but also highly estrogenic in nature, are much more pervasive in our common, everyday products than we could have imagined.
Yeah, that BPA free stuff is no better and will mess up your hormones just as much. But then, you sensed that was the case already didn’t you? I know I did.
The term “safe chemical” is kind of an oxymoron. If a product contains chemicals, just assume they are toxic unless proven otherwise.
How does all this relate to recycled toilet paper?
Hormone Disruptors in Recycled Paper
These two studies involved examination of hundreds of samples of paper from everyday items such as toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, newspapers, magazines, tickets, and even business cards.
Most of the paper samples tested contained the hormone disruptors BPA, BPS or BOTH.
How and why the paper was so contaminated is a question that requires further study to ascertain.
But for now, the key is to avoid thermal paper as much as possible. This stuff is the worst offender perhaps because it is often recycled and may somehow become contaminated during the reclamation process.
The ink itself may also be a culprit in the overall toxicity of recycled toilet paper.
In fact, it is best to avoid touching all recycled paper period! Sister chemicals BPA and BPS absorb very readily through the skin.
You don’t have to eat it to have them enter your bloodstream.
If your job involves handling thermal paper receipts, for example, best to wear gloves. And, if you can turn down receipts and instead rely on an online itemization of your expenditures, that would be a good step as well.
TP Used for Thin Skin Near Reproductive Areas
As for your backside, opt for toilet paper made from virgin pulp or better still, bamboo toilet paper.
This is an especially important area to protect from BPA and BPS as the skin in these areas is thin and delicate.
This means that the chemicals can more easily enter the bloodstream with very close proximity to the reproductive organs.
Green AND Safe Options to Toilet Paper
If you don’t want to change habits right now, at least switch to bamboo toilet paper (I suggest this brand). It is nontoxic and sustainably produced.
If you really want to go green with your toilet habits, skip the toilet paper entirely and invest in a bidet attachment for your toilet. They are very reasonably priced and easy to install.
If this European method of saving trees doesn’t work for you, your other option is to go the reusable TP cloths route.
Any of these approaches makes for a sanitary, nontoxic and sustainable bathroom experience.
Reference
(1) Bottom Line Publications, Toxic Toilet Paper? You Got It
It can get to be a very paranoid world we live in. As much as i am a proponent or raw, is virgin fiber really good for our bums? Is it truly raw hemp, fiber, from trees, untreated? Do we really want to be wiping our butts with this untreated product that might have still living micro organisms affixed to the fiber content? Each and every plant has natural toxins. And what about the dye used is some organic paper? What about our cloths we are inclined to use. Are they not all treated in the factory before being made into shirts or socks or whatever. So much to consider.
I consider that there is less fresh, clean, water on this earth than there are trees, Washing our reusable cloths will still have some impact on the planet. What to do what to do. If only to know the secrets of early man…
So true- I wish I’d seen your comment before I posted mine below, you’re right on Oliver. Nothing is safe, everything is relative. Nature is, in fact, a startlingly deadly place filled with complex chemicals and dangerous substances that are present in the air, the water, the soil, and in plants and animals. While I agree that our modern dependence on disposable materials and human-derived substances is wasteful and can certainly be harmful, a little perspective on human history and the nature of the world goes a long way in putting those evils in their proper place. The Mol scale of chemical content in human blood reveals hormones, especially sex hormones, to be some of the most concentrated substances in our body- I highly doubt the combined SECONDS of exposure to BPA received in a day from wiping one’s privy area is going to do anyone much harm. I can’t believe anyone thinks scrubbing used linen coated in fecal matter and caustic lye-saponified animal fats is better than a piece of paper- which, if some of these folks read their history books would know, has been in use as a toiletry aid since ANCIENT times by the Mesopotamians and Chinese.
I agree with your comment Oliver. I know this isn’t your point but I just wanted to respond to one thing that you said, that seems to be a belief of many. It may be true that there is less clean water than trees, I don’t really know how to quantify that. However, LOTS of water is used in processing paper products. That is something that people always seem to overlook when they talk about the water usage of reusable cloth… It seems as though there is a belief that disposable products don’t use (or use less) water, and that couldn’t be less true. We (the consumers) just don’t wittiness the water usage.
We’ve used cloth wipes for several years. I cut up a flannel sheet (bought new in the package at a yard sale), sewed them into double layers to make them nice (unnecessary, but nice). We love them and consider paper “barbaric” LOL
I hate to buy anything that is designed to be thrown away. So we use cloth in place of all disposable paper…facial tissue (Kleenex) is old t-shirts cut up (soon to be nice hankies for myself that I will make using a white sheet), paper towels are replaced with worn out wash rags or hand towels. For really yucky messes, I will use the most stained or worn out rag and toss it in the garbage when I am done with no guilt. If you compost, you can throw cotton cloths into the compost pile too. I just never remember that at the time.
This has got me interested in switching to cloth. I used cloth diapers with my son (now grown) and usually wiped him with cloth, so family cloth wipes make sense. For those who have been doing this, a few questions:
Do you make double-layer cloths? What cloth do you prefer? Do you always sew the edges?
With the peri bottle, do you use that to rinse yourself, like a bidet, or to wet the wipes?
Thanks for the information.
I make mine double sided flannel rectangles and then I serge them, I think they’re about 4X8″, then when I store them, I fold them in half so they are actually 4 layers of fabric when in use, but they wash better and dry faster because they aren’t so thick as if you sewed 4 layers. I also have some that are just cut up shirts (they don’t fray) but they’re not as cushy 🙂
I use the peri bottle to rinse myself, like a bidet. I don’t wet the wipes, personally. I think it’s nicer to have a pail full of dry wipes and I see no need for it.
how about tissues in a box are those ok?
Family cloth people!
It is easy and cheap to install a home in-toilet bidet. About $60 from Amazon, 10 minutes to install, will fit most toilets, and healthier in so many ways. I have my 7th Generation recycled TP available for guests.
Ok this does it, back to family cloth for us! Got away from it for a while, spirit renewed, why not, we cloth diaper already too…great article!!
We could go back to using leaves ; ) lol
…watch out for that poison ivy though
I think i will continue to use recycled tp. Less of a carbon footprint
It is not just trees used for virgin tp. Water and energy resources as well. This is a much greater issue when compared to the unlikely issue of bpa on your tush! I’m sure the brief swipe of tp doesn’t have that big of an effect
I agree, I think this article is taking a big jump. Even if it is full of BPA, where is the evidence that shows TP exposure increases BPA in humans? I’m all for avoiding BPA, but who said that virgin pulp was any better? Just because it has less BPA doesn’t mean it isn’t full of other nasties! With a large environmental impact to boot!
This unfortunately sounds like there is merit to it. Are the studies published somewhere we can read them? Were they sponsored by pro-cut-down-trees-don’t-recycle companies? I have a *really* hard time using non-recycled products. What about sugarcane tp as an option for us? There is a local bookstore/tearoom that has been using it for a few years…My only question regarding ultragreen brand is what does “other fibers” mean? “Made from 80% sugar-cane fiber and 20% other tree-free natural fibers” and this sugar cane…is it ridden with pesticides?? 😉