Washing with water removes organic matter around the anus better than rubbing with paper. In fact, it could even be said that there is no problem with using your hands if you wash them thoroughly with soap afterwards.
There is a high consumption of toilet paper in the world. Perhaps too much. In fact, for many, it is the only possible way to wash after using the toilet.
But there is actually a more sustainable and hygienic way to use the toilet – water.
70% of the world’s people do not use toilet paper
Surprisingly, around 4 billion people – 70-75% of the world’s population – do not use toilet paper to wash themselves.
In fact, this use of toilet paper is a cultural behaviour in some countries, mainly in the West.
Because the normal practice in the world, in both more and less developed places, is to flush with water.
And so it is that:
- In technologically advanced countries such as Japan or Singapore, many toilets are already equipped withan on-demand jet that is aimed directly at the target.
- Elsewhere, it is common to have a small hose on the side with a jet strong enough to clean, but not so powerful as to cause harm.
- If you prefer, showers are even available with a built-in toilet so that you can do both at once.
- And while the bidet is declining in our country and is no longer an essential element of the bathroom, it continues to be widely used in neighbouring countries such as Italy. Italians often joke when they comment on how little other people use the bidet.
Do you know how much toilet paper is used worldwide?
But would it really be better to use water instead of toilet paper?
From an environmental point of view, there is no comparison: it is much better to wash with water.
But the global demand for toilet paper is huge.
- The amount of toilet paperused each year in the US is equivalent to 31.1 million trees.
- In China, it is 47 million trees.
In Spain, each person uses an average of 622 kilometres of toilet paper in their lifetime.
In other countries, such as the United States or Portugal, the distance is more than 1 000 km.
Are baby wipes a good alternative?
Wet wipes, which every mother uses to clean her baby’s bottomand which have now also acquired the status of “wet toilet paper” because they are said to be able to be flushed down the toilet, have become very fashionable.
In addition, there are varieties aimed at maintaining anal hygiene and health, such as the so-called natural ones or those with aloe vera, neutral soap, etc. ….
However, specialists do not hesitate and do not recommend their regular use, as they are not good for the skin of the anus in the long run.
In fact, there are a number of patients who, after repeated use, end up coming to the doctor’s office with itching or perianal dermatitis.
It is true that they can be recommended in individual cases, such as after surgery or in case of illness.
However, specialists recommend using water only. No additives or perfumes that could irritate a very sensitive part of our body.
If necessary, after an operation or due to illness, the doctor recommends washing and drying off afterwards, as moisture in this area is also not the best companion.
Millions of trees turned into toilet paper
In a shocking infographic, QSSupplies shows that the amount of toilet paper used in the US per year is almost enough to cover the entire area of a tree.
In one year, it is almost enough to cover the distance between Earth and Neptune. And in China, the figure exceeds the planet and would not be too far (relatively speaking) from Pluto.
All these figures assume that trees have been cut down, sometimes by controlled forestry, but perhaps not.
In addition, the land used to plant these trees may have been used for other purposes, or may have been directly maintained as natural space.
Recycled paper does not meet softness standards
Toilet paper made from recycled paper is available, but in most cases it does not reach the softness of the original and is therefore not as usable. It is also, of course, more expensive and not often purchased.
And we do not count the cost of the water used for cleaning?
This is one of the first questions that arise when we talk about this subject.
Because it makes sense to say that water is also a resource that needs to be looked after.
It so happens that, in order to produce the paper we are talking about, the amount of water used in the whole process is much higher than the amount of water we would use when we take a bath.
From a hygiene and health point of view, water is also better
Washing with water is better at removing organic matter around the anus than simply rubbing with paper. We can even say that there is no problem with using your hands as long as you wash them thoroughly with soap afterwards.
Moreover, this method of cleaning is much more recommended for ailments such as haemorrhoids or anal itching.
Cleaning with toilet paper is a very aggressive method compared to water, which can cause or aggravate previous irritations.
In addition, the use of toilet paper increases the likelihood of urinary tract infections, especially in women.
However, it is important to dry off after washing.
Therefore, the use of water as a cleaning method is environmentally and hygienically preferable. And it is not that difficult to do.
- You can buy toilets with a built-in water spray.
- A hose can also be installed next to the bowl.
- You can use a traditional bidet.
- You can even arrange the internal schedule to coincide with the shower.
This way, in addition to the advantages already mentioned, there will be an unexpected one: in the next pandemic, when the supermarkets are in chaos and the population has swept up all the toilet paper, you will not have to worry because you will not need it.
Facts about toilet paper you probably didn’t know
In some parts of the world, people don’t use toilet paper because of a lack of trees. In other places, it’s because they can’t afford it.
Many people prefer not to spend money on more or less luxurious toilet paper to wipe their arse.
The universal solvent is water, not paper.
Two-ply toilet paper consists of two layers of 10-ply paper, but it is not necessarily twice as thick as single-ply toilet paper.
When comparing single-ply and double-ply toilet paper, on average single-ply toilet paper lasts twice as long. In addition, single-ply paper degrades faster in a septic system.
In an average household, a roll of toilet paper lasts about five days.
Consumers use approximately 8-9 sheets of paper per toilet use.
The average person uses 57 sheets of toilet paper per day!
The average roll weighs 227 grams and each sheet is about 11.5 cm long.
If you hang the toilet paper so that you can pull it out from the bottom, you will be considered smarter than someone who hangs and pulls it out from the top.
It is always better to take a shower than to use toilet paper or wipes / Freepik
It takes around 384 trees to produce the toilet paper a person uses in their lifetime.
The average person uses 100 rolls of toilet paper a year(more than 20 000 sheets).
Around 83 048 116 rolls of toilet paper are produced per day.
Toilet paper is often used to make clothes.
An average tree weighs 450 kg, produces about 200 kg of bleached chemical pulp and, assuming a conversion efficiency of 90 %, would produce about 810 toilet paper rolls per tree.
In many countries, paper is not flushed down the toilet.
Today, some offices have a machine that converts waste paper into toilet paper rolls instead of photocopier paper.
Toilet paper was first patented in Albany, New York.
