Happy Wednesday everyone!  How was your week?

I enjoyed watching NFL playoffs this weekend and the return of health in our family.  My son and I were both sick at different times and stuck inside for about 3 weeks waiting to get better- ugh.  I am happy to be feeling well again!!

For those of you just joining us- check out our weekly challenge here.  We are providing easy weekly tips to green your home and reduce your waste.

Who finished the challenge last week?  I’m curious about your findings.  What was your top single-use item? Were you surprised to discover what it was?  Let me know in the comments below or email me at blog@keeper.com and let me know what you found (plus you’ll automatically be entered to win a free cup of your choice by commenting!)

The overwhelming majority of comments on our Facebook page predicted that their top single-use item would be toilet paper.  It was funny to me because I hadn’t even thought about toilet paper as being single-use.  I had planned to talk about ways to reduce toilet paper usage in a few months.  There are some super simple ways to reduce but it can often be viewed as more “extreme” so week 3 seems a little early.  

Alas, after all the feedback on Facebook page… we are tackling TP today! toilet

Toilet paper presents a number of issues for someone trying to reduce their impact on the Earth.  From the trees required to make it, to the energy at the factory, to the transport of the TP to the store and to your home, and the processing that our sewage goes through.  There’s a lot more to TP than most people consider.

For you history buffs- “Today I Found Out” has a fun history of TP article here.

The average American uses enough toilet paper each year to cover 2-3 miles in TP.  This equates to somewhere around 180 miles total over an individuals life and around 750 miles of TP for the lifespan of a family of 4!!  This would be like driving from Richmond, VA to Orlando, FL on a highway of toilet paper… not a fun way to go see America’s favorite Mouse if you ask me!

So what’s a person to do to avoid the TP highway?
You’ve got a few options (and don’t worry- they’re all easy!):

#1- Only use a square or two.  Most people use 4-8 squares at a time.  

#2- Compost it instead of flush.   Yes, this is totally fine to do and won’t hurt your compost as long as it’s just #1.  Urine is sterile and actually quite good for compost.  You just want to make sure you’re using a TP without additives.  You’ll have a thriving compost pile!

#3- Use a bidet, sprayer or peri bottle to clean up.  A good majority of the world does this and a peri bottle can be found for free from an OBGYN or a couple dollars at a medical supply store or online.

#4- Switch to cloth.  We made the switch a couple years ago.  You save a ton of money (free if you just cut up some old flannel shirts or sheets) and it’s easy to just throw in the wash with bath towels or sheets.  Some people use cloth for #1 and #2.  I still haven’t been able to get myself there to use it for #2’s so we keep TP on hand for #2’s and guests but love cloth for #1.  Penniless Parenting wrote a step-by-step tutorial on switching to cloth here.

Not interested in taking the *ahem* plunge with any of these options? Consider switching to a paperless TP (like this TP made from sugar cane and eucalyptus fibers) and use less of it.  Wondering why I’m not suggesting a recycled TP?  Recycled TP is made from things like magazines, receipts and mail flyers that are full of BPA (more info here from The Healthy Home Economist).

There you have it- we tackled TP!  Now go forth and reduce your impact this week.

~Olivia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and 4 year old son.  She enjoys spending time in the mountains, studying about essential oils, natural remedies and herbs, as well as upcycling/ DIY projects.  Olivia’s family made the move last year towards becoming a Zero Waste household.  They have gotten down to one bathroom sized trashcan a month of garbage but hope to be totally Zero Waste by the end of 2015.

 

Like this?  Check out the rest of our Waste Less and Be Green in 2015 series for more tips!

 

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