The toilet paper industry is a $31 billion dollar enterprise and despite challenges like the Bidet, TP still holds economic sway. As we saw during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic when throngs of people rushed to the stores to panic-buy car-fulls of the stuff, bathroom toilet paper still occupies a primal role in our lives.
While you might think little to no innovation goes into toilet paper these days, the truth is that like every other industry, toilet paper has evolved alongside technology and engineering. In the last decade or so, such innovations have revolved around the demand for sustainability and all-natural fibers.
One of the more recent developments, championed by the company Seek Bamboo, is the use of bamboo toilet paper over cotton and other materials. Not only are bamboo fibers softer, but bamboo harvesting is far more sustainable than tree-based industries. Additionally, bamboo TP doesn’t contain the bleach and other chemicals that are typically seen (and felt) by other brands. The glossy softness on some of these rolls is the result of that bleach, whereas bamboo offers comfortable strength that is eco-friendly and hypoallergenic.
Seek Bamboo offers other upgrades in home sustainability, too. For example, dryer balls made of all-natural sheep’s wool contain no harsh, artificial chemicals.
Wait, you may be asking, you want me to use bamboo for toilet paper? As you will see, this is actually an easy decision. Let’s delve further into why bamboo-based TP has become such a popular bathroom toiletry trend.
Comfort
Let’s be honest: when it comes to toilet paper, comfort is the operative word. It’s the first thing most people think about when deciding which mountain-sized stack of TP rolls to purchase from the store.
Naturally, because most people don’t know much about bamboo, it’s easy to get confused about its uses. But the truth is that bamboo has been used in technological and engineering innovations for centuries, including industrial construction projects around the world. Bamboo is an incredibly versatile material, stronger than some kinds of steel but also extremely soft when broken down into fibers. For this reason, bamboo can be used for toilet paper without additional chemicals (like bleach) added for softness.
In other words, bamboo toilet paper is just as soft as cotton but without artificial toxins.
Eco-friendly
We live in an age when people are making eco-friendly consumer choices on a daily basis. It’s a movement that has swept across almost every industry and social class. On this note, it’s worth considering that the timber and logging industry chops down 27,000 trees every day for use in toilet paper. In a full lifetime, the average person will use 400 trees just for toilet paper.
Additionally, each and every roll of standard TP requires 37 gallons of water. Needless to say, this is not sustainable harvesting or resource use.
Conversely, bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants, produces oxygen, and can be sustainably harvested year after year. Again, bamboo is one of the most versatile and eco-friendly natural materials on Earth.
Toxin-free
Just as many consumers are becoming eco-friendly, many are also becoming observant and careful when it comes to buying products that contain artificial chemicals and toxins. As we mentioned above, your average roll of cotton or tree-based toilet paper is smothered in bleach and other chemicals. In fact, bleach is the reason why toilet paper is white. Other chemicals used in most commercial toilet paper brands include chlorine and formaldehyde.
Any of these chemicals can cause skin irritation and over the course of a lifetime, regularly using toxins on such sensitive parts of the body can’t be healthy.
Seek Bamboo is part of the plastic-free, zero-waste bathroom and sustainable household products movement. Transforming our society into one that primarily uses sustainable resources won’t be an overnight project – or perhaps even an over-decade project – but it has to start somewhere. Why not in the bathroom?
