NATIONAL REPORT—Choosing the right brand of toilet paper may not top your list when it comes to greening up your supply chain but maybe it should. Just ask suppliers of toilet paper made from bamboo or sugar cane. They say that by switching to their alternatives to traditional toilet paper, you can say no to cutting down trees, no to harmful chemicals and bleaches, and no to plastic.
According to HeyBambu, a supplier of toilet paper made from bamboo, “Traditional toilet paper is made using hardwood and softwood trees that are cut down, stripped off their bark, and pulverized into small chips. As a result, tens of thousands of trees are destroyed each day. We are literally flushing trees down the toilet! Additionally, potentially harmful toxins are used to produce traditional toilet paper. Chemicals like sulfur dioxide are used to cook the wood chips down into a pulp that is pressed and dried into paper. Chlorine is used to bleach the paper white, and some brands add artificial scents and dyes.”
Adds the company, “Every day, 27,000 trees are cut down … just to create toilet paper. That’s 15 million trees a year and millions of habitats destroyed. In fact, toilet paper accounts for 15 percent of the Earth’s deforestation alone. The loss of trees can cause climate change, soil erosion, damage to natural habitats and a host of other issues.”
A Like-Minded Company
True Green Enterprises, Inc., a supplier of toilet paper made from bamboo and sugar cane, agrees there are many reasons to use bamboo for toilet paper instead of trees.
According to the company, bamboo paper is absorbent. Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that can be harvested again and again without causing deforestation. While trees can take decades to mature, bamboo can be harvested within a few years. Bamboo requires less water to grow than trees. This is important in areas where water is scarce. Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, which helps to reduce air pollution. Bamboo has an extensive root system that helps prevent soil erosion, improve soil quality, and reduce the risk of landslides. This is especially important in areas where deforestation and conventional paper production have contributed to soil degradation. The production of bamboo paper can create jobs in rural areas, which can help to reduce poverty.
“However, it’s important to note that the environmental benefits of bamboo paper depend on responsible harvesting practices, efficient processing methods, and environmentally friendly production processes,” True Green Enterprises says. “The overall ecological impact also depends on transportation, energy usage, and waste management throughout the supply chain.”
A Blend of Bamboo Grass & Sugar Cane Bagasse
True Green Enterprises uses both bamboo grass and sugar cane bagasse to make its toilet paper. “Similar to papyrus, bagasse is made up of a pithy substance that can be easily made into quality bathroom tissue,” the company says. “This paper breaks up just as easily as bathroom tissue made from pulp and is septic safe.”
Sugar cane can grow back in 12 short months. Trees need to grow at least 30 if not 40 years before they can be cut down and processed. Combined with bamboo grass, sugar cane bagasse provides a synthetic material that can be manufactured into toilet tissue.
“You may not realize it, but sugar cane is actually the most cultivated crop in the world,” True Green Enterprises says. “Therefore, it makes sense to harvest its resources for paper tissue production.”
Cost is always a concern when going green, but HeyBambu says, “Even with all the benefits of sustainability, HeyBambu costs about the same per roll as the leading supermarket brand. Each HeyBambu roll is made up of 360 tightly rolled 3-ply sheets, so it’s a nice big roll to keep you rolling a lot longer.” With every HeyBambu order, a tree is planted. HeyBambu toilet tissue can be purchased through its website.
Toilet paper from True Green Enterprises can be purchased by contacting the company directly, through distributors, or through Amazon.
