CLEAN TP

Who would have thought that an every-day product would make national headlines? But it did, two years ago. The pandemic caused many upsets, and toilet paper (TP) was one of them. Gone were the familiar brands from the shelves. People took to hording, overbuying and scouring the stores. Then it became a matter of any brand, any type, just so long as your home had a roll or two.

For my family, we had a moment – scarcity had set in. (With 5 in the home, we use up the rolls.) We did not horde as we relied on the LORD to supply. However, it was skimpy and then downright obsolete one day. We began to pray as the sheets were being used up. No, we were not resorting to cloth TP, but it did cross my mind for a fleeting moment.

One Thursday afternoon, some of my family went on a walk. We have a mile-long road that we take in quite often. Four farmhouses dot the sides of our road, so it’s quiet and peaceful. Upon walking down the pavement, my son noticed something odd. Yes, two rolls of toilet paper were lying on the side of the road, unaccounted for. Two precious, highly valuable hot commodities were on our street. Of course, he picked them up as they were completely clean and intact; we had enough to carry us through.

And this same God who takes of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NLT

Yes, God delivered, even right to our road and exactly when we needed it most. We had a praise session that evening as we all recounted God’s miraculous provision for us again – who knew that toilet paper would be an answer to prayer?

During the pandemic, supply and demand changed not only the paper product industry, but I would venture to say, just about every industry. Many shortages, labor loss, supply chain disruptions, limits on purchases and empty shelves became a way of life. Even start-up companies began making different, but perfectly viable options for everyday products – toilet paper being one of them.

That cloth toilet paper I mentioned? Yes, it was talked about among my friends, but to my knowledge not one of us actually took the plunge; to my family’s great relief. However, bamboo paper products became more readily available, making way for a broader appeal and market. Bamboo paper products had started appearing on a few store shelves, pre-pandemic, but not many brands and at the time a little more expensive. Until March 2020. Then even mainstream big box stores started carrying bamboo, and they still do even though the rush on TP has subsided (and for the record, why was there a rush anyway?).

Have you even wondered if your toilet paper is a clean brand? Admittedly it’s not a hot topic ordinarily, but it became one in the last two years. What goes into making personal paper products (i.e., napkins, paper towels, paper plates, toilet paper)? For this article, the focus will be toilet paper, but for the most part the process is similar for each (with variations of course).

Top of research into this subject is – who regulates this industry? “The Food and Drug Administration does not consider facial tissues, paper napkins, paper towels or similar products subject to the Act [Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act] when sold only for conventional wiping purposes. If the labeling of such products suggests or implies a therapeutic or cosmetic benefit is to be derived from this use, this may bring them within the definition of a ‘drug’ within the meaning of section 201(h), or a ‘cosmetic’ within the meaning of section 201(i) of the Act” (CPG Sec 100.600 Status of Facial Tissues, Paper Napkins, Paper Towels and Similar Paper Products, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, August 1989, Compliance Policy Guide, fda.gov).

Next, is research on the manufacturing process of TP. A quick perusal shows that TP is made from a combination of hard and soft woods, water and chemicals. The result is a pulp which is bleached, applied to a screen to allow excess liquid to drain, then heated to dry with a final moisture content of 5%. It is then creped – “paper is scraped off the Yankee Dryer with a metal blade. This makes the sheets somewhat flexible but lowers their strength and thickness so that they virtually disintegrate when wet. The paper, which is produced at speeds over a mile a minute, is then wound onto jumbo reels that can weigh as much as five tons” (Toilet Paper, How Products Are Made, madehow.com).

To further understand the bleaching process – it is done because the paper will yellow over time caused by another stage in the processing (an adhesive that binds the fibers together), so the paper goes through a multistage bleaching process to make the paper white as well as soften the end product. Bleaching processes include: “Most bleaching processes use chlorine. But chlorine produces dioxin, which are toxic. Dioxins are considered persistent environmental pollutants (POPs), which accumulate in the food chain, mainly in the fatty tissue of animals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dioxins ‘can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.’” (Best Unbleached, Chemical-Free Toilet Paper For Your Bum, The Filtery Staff, February 8, 2022, thefiltery.com).

Another problematic chemical that makes its way into toilet paper is BPA (bisphenol A); it is a byproduct of the processing of recycling paper into sustainable personal papers. BPA has been used since the 50’s to make certain plastics and is often used in containers that store food and water. They are considered endocrine disruptors – meaning they can cause cancer, infertility, birth defects and more. However, the BPA percentage is much smaller in personal paper products compared to other BPA-containing products.

Completing the production of turning wood pulp into toilet paper rolls are reels of processed wood pulp, now considered paper, which is slit into sheets, then rolled into paper logs, rewound and wrapped around cardboard tubing. The paper logs are put onto machines that cut each roll to size and then the rolls are packaged and labeled.

As noted above, a typical conventional brand uses virgin pulp from trees, but others are using wheat straw, recycled paper, bamboo, sugar cane, and more, or a combination. Things to consider when purchasing TP would be the type of raw materials used, sourcing of those materials, the use of bleaches (FCAS and others), additional add-ins (dyes, fragrance), impact on environment (if that is important to you), and durability and texture of the finished product.

A quick history study into TP reveals the product we now use is relatively a newcomer on the market, making its debut in 1890 by the Scott Paper Company. Further back in time there were many different options – let’s just say it’s a good thing disposable paper, especially TP, is here to stay.

Toilet paper is used by all of us, and it is a big and necessary industry. A 2019 article by National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) states, “In the United States, we consume more than 15 billion pounds of tissue each year – more than 50 pounds per person. It’s taking a major toll on forests like the Canadian boreal…that means we currently buy, use, and flush about 20 percent of the world’s supply of tissue products, even though we account for just over 4 percent of the world’s population” (A Shopper’s Guide to Home Tissue Products, NRDC, Patrick Rogers, March 12, 2019, nrdc.org).

With this information and sustainable issues on the table with so many choices, how does one choose? Are all brands soft, durable, reliable, sustainable, economical (especially for a family)? The point of this article is not to lay a guilt on your personal paper product purchases (that’s a lot of P’s!), but rather to point out some facts that may or may not have crossed your path, and to inform you, as the consumer, of the many different options which are available. Gone are the days of hiding your TP purchase from others, talking in code at the corner market, or just purchasing what’s on the shelf at your regular stores. Now one can purchase TP online, at a big box chain in large quantities, a grocery store and even specialty grocery stores. One can buy conventional paper or choose newer, and even more sustainable options that won’t break the bank. It may take some trial and error if you are trying newer brands (bamboo, sugar cane, etc.), and maybe your family is willing to give it a go.

Who knows, you may find that buying bamboo TP online may be the best option that you and your family can try – and enjoy.