The Human Factor | The Hidden Side of Toilet Paper

Toilet paper has many impacts on the environment. Two experts analyze them to understand how to reduce them.

“What is the impact of toilet paper on the environment?” asks Manon.

It is estimated that on average, a Canadian uses about two rolls of toilet paper per week. Along with the United States and a handful of European countries, we compete for the podium of the biggest consumers of toilet paper in the world; knowing that 70% of the world’s population does not use any.

And this unbridled consumption brings its share of repercussions.

At the source

An American environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), twice sounded the alarm in reports published in 2019 and 2020 to denounce the major role that toilet paper plays in deforestation in Canada.

The report states that more than half a million hectares of boreal forest are cut down each year by the forest industry. And the organization estimates that about half of the pulp from these cuts is used to make tissues, paper towels and… toilet paper.

“And this has consequences for biodiversity, the climate and indigenous communities,” lists Cyrielle Maison, head of communications for Quebec at the David Suzuki Foundation.

These figures have been disputed, however, by the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), which says a major portion of toilet paper is made from wood industry waste, and that Canadian forests lose about 25 times more trees to pests, fires and drought than to logging.

From tree to roller

To transform wood into toilet paper, several steps must be carried out: first, the paper pulp must be produced, then it must be bleached. This requires large quantities of water, energy and chemicals that are harmful to health and the environment.

Finally, in the life cycle analysis of toilet paper, we can take into account the impact of the plastic packaging and the cardboard roll, as well as the transport by truck to supermarkets. “But this part is really not dominant in the overall balance sheet,” says Elliot Muller, researcher at the International Reference Center for Life Cycle Assessment and Sustainable Transition (CIRAIG).

In the bathroom

When you flush the toilet, toilet paper is mixed with various organic materials; this sludge must then be treated in a treatment plant. After being dried, it can be incinerated, sent to landfill or reused as fertilizer.

If we use more paper than is reasonable, the volume of this sludge inevitably increases, which can have major consequences for the environment in the event of heavy rain, for example, when the sewers overflow.

Toilet paper also contains eternal pollutants (the famous PFAS), which contaminate river water and are harmful to health – including upstream, when the paper is used.

Solutions?

For both experts, there are several ways to limit the impact of toilet paper. We can try to consume less of it, and opt for recycled toilet paper that has FSC certification, to limit the impact on forests.

The two experts also remind us to avoid throwing wipes and menstrual products in the toilet, because compared to simple paper, they can have a much greater impact on sewage treatment plants. The chemicals they release into the water are also an aggravating factor.

“And if you’re driving to the grocery store, that can really explode the impact of toilet paper,” Muller says.

“It is worth noting that the end of life of food – the impact of toilet paper, flushing, urine and excrement – ​​represents less than 5% of the overall impact of food,” he adds. In this respect, reducing meat consumption is therefore an effort that will have more positive effects on climate change than reducing toilet paper consumption.

And the bidet?

“Contrary to what you might think, the amount of water used by a bidet is much less compared to that used to produce toilet paper,” says Cyrielle Maison. “But it’s definitely a big change in our habits.”

The bidet uses 500 ml of water per use, as much as a single sheet of toilet paper, according to calculations made by Elliot Muller.

A bidet requires more energy and raw materials to manufacture, compared to a simple roller; but this impact can be quickly amortized if it is used a certain number of times.

It is better to choose a “low-tech” option – because the more technological the bidet, the less ecological it is. A Japanese toilet that makes light with a heated seat will therefore pollute much more than a simple cold water shower installed on an existing toilet.

“And of course, if you’re using so much paper to dry yourself, it doesn’t really make sense anymore,” adds Elliot Muller.

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