Save The Planet: Reusable Toilet Paper

I’m all for doing what I can to help the environment. If I’m going grocery shopping to buy only a few items I always bring a reusable canvas bag and if I have to buy more I bring back to plastic bags I have saved from a previous visit for reuse. I’ve been shutting off all my lights, computers and electronics when they are not in use and I’ve been teaching my 4 year old son the importance of doing your part to save our planet so future generations can enjoy her beauty. But as a health care professional I have to draw the line at something like this. Reusable Toilet Paper. I realize that the amount of toilet paper we use as a nation is pretty impressive. The average American uses over 23 rolls per year and the nation as a whole purchases 24 billion rolls every year. The source of the paper used to manufacture toilet paper is debatable, with some sources siting a large percentage originating for virgin growth and other claiming that virgin sources account for a small percentage with the majority coming from recycled sources and tree farms. Be that as it may, it still is an astronomical amount of waste that we produce from an act that no human can avoid. If I had to recommend a method other than wiping our bottoms with re-manufactured wood product it would be this item: CleanButt “The CleanButt BidetSpa replacement toilet seat bidet improves the personal hygiene cleansing experience for everyone after going to the bathroom.” [YouTube]. Laugh all you want, however, I have used this at a previous jobsite and I would wait until I got to work to go. Once you use it you will wonder why the toilet paper industry still exisits. Now, not that I’m against the idea of recycling toilet paper, but reusing a product that wipes an area of the human body with inherintly contains disease causing bacteria is a health care professionals worst nightmare.  If the thought of using reusable toilet paper isn’t bad enough, here are the usage directions from the manufacture:

Step 1. “Shake, scrape, swish, or squirt off anything you don’t want in your laundry, and then toss the wipe into the pail or container.”

It seems to me that in order to do this you will need to purchase rubber gloves. Seems like you’re creating waste to reduce waste, no?

Step 2: Store the used wipes in a wet bag or a diaper pail. “Some families find it easiest to put a small wet bag in their bathroom – either just laying on the floor near the toilet, or hanging from a nearby doorknob, cabinet knob, or hook.”

Yay! A festering bag of E. coli right in your house.

Step 3: Wash with the diapers if you have a baby in the house. Otherwise, for neophytes in laundering poop-stained cloth, an important tip: Wash them separately from other laundry. “Wash in hot, dry in the dryer. You may add whatever laundry additives you desire – chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, tea tree oil, lavender oil, stain remover, whatever.”

I would emplore all of you to do what you can to save our beautiful planet. But I beg of you, wipe once and toss!