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If you are looking for ways to use consumer funds to prevent deforestation, reduce the impact of climate change, and protect biodiversity, choosing a better toilet paper may be one of the best starting points. Toilet paper manufacturing often leads to the destruction of valuable forests (see below for more on these environmental impacts).

But we can change this situation by making some small changes at home. In response to consumer demand, many manufacturers have introduced environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to the market. These options include recycled paper, bamboo, and even direct-to-consumer options that are completely free of plastic packaging.

To help you get started, we researched the best eco-friendly toilet paper on the market today.

Fortunately, there are many 100% bamboo toilet papers on the market. Betterway won the best overall position because it is the softest tree-free brand among its competitors, as well as the most absorbent and long-lasting brand. It is hypoallergenic and mild to sensitive skin. This may be because it does not contain chlorine, BPA, ink, fragrance and dyes.

Betterway sources Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified bamboo pulp from small family farms that are hand-harvested from panda-free areas. Bamboo is grown organically, and the company is working hard to obtain organic certification. Betterway is one of the more affordable bamboo toilet papers and provides free climate-neutral transportation.

Betterway has been committed to adopting non-plastic recycling and recyclable packaging and core materials, all the way to the tape on the box. The company says that 12 rolls of 360-page 3-layer anti-septic toilet paper are equivalent to about 20 rolls of regular roll paper, because you need fewer paper towels to complete the job.

As another high-quality bamboo toilet paper, Cloud Paper sells direct-to-consumer toilet paper, which is completely free of plastic packaging and comes from an FSC certified bamboo manufacturer. This soft three-layer toilet paper is safe and harmless to septic tanks, and does not contain chlorine, bisphenol A, pesticides, fragrances and dyes.

All packaging is recyclable or compostable paper, if you don’t want to worry about running out, you can also sign up for a subscription. Transportation is free, and the company buys carbon credits through a carbon fund to offset the global warming emissions associated with transportation. These offsets support reforestation and forest protection initiatives.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Yunzhi has also donated more than 140,000 volumes of TP to homeless shelters.

Caboo Bamboo toilet paper may be more affordable because it is made from a combination of sustainable bamboo and bagasse and sugarcane. Bagasse is the fibrous residue left after extracting sugarcane juice to make sugar. It is usually incinerated or landfilled, so this toilet paper can prevent by-products from being wasted. They claim that this is also what makes this paper soft.

If you have the ability to buy more quantities and shop around, you will find that it is about 50% cheaper than other bamboo toilet paper. Caboo is also suitable for RV, boat and septic tank safety, while still being soft and strong. It does not contain lint, BPA, fragrance, parabens, chlorine and non-GMO project verification.

You can use it to feel good because it meets the British Retail Association global standards and is panda friendly. Your purchase will also provide 1% help to the planet, and the program supports environmental non-profit organizations that focus on sustainable development. However, this paper is indeed wrapped in plastic film and can be recycled wherever plastic shopping bags are recycled.

Subscription services are great because they allow you to free up time for other things, and you should never run out. Who Gives a Crap uses a chlorine-free bleaching process that does not contain inks and dyes, and all packaging is plastic-free and recyclable.

This 100% recycled bath towel paper is made from 95% post-consumer recycled paper. The non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) rated toilet paper, and the organization received an "A+". The price is comparable to other bamboo paper and recycled paper, or even slightly cheaper. The company offers a money-back guarantee, so you can try it with confidence. They also sell bamboo options.

The company is a certified B company, but perhaps the best part is that they donate up to 50% of their profits to communities in need to build toilets. This totaled more than 5.7 million U.S. dollars and was used to provide sanitation facilities for people in need around the world.

The toilet paper is designed to be compostable. But some composts are faster than others. For composting toilets, choose a type of toilet paper, which is a thin single-layer paper that does not contain chlorine, dyes, inks and fragrances, and is approved as "RV/Marine Use".

It is not easy to find 1-layer environmentally friendly toilet paper, but the seventh-generation 100% recycled 1-layer toilet paper can be seen everywhere. It is made from at least 50% post-consumer recycled paper, which is gentle and durable, while still decomposing quickly. It does not add dyes, inks or fragrances, is made in the United States or Quebec using materials recycled in North America, and does not contain chlorine. You can find individual rolls wrapped in paper, but one disadvantage of this brand is that larger packages are usually wrapped in plastic film.

It has been certified by FSC and Rainforest Alliance, so you know that the product meets the high standards of forests, climate, human rights, and the farmers and workers who purchase and manufacture the product. Seventh Generation also uses 10% of its profits to help women build sustainable lives.

Using 100% recycled toilet paper means that the paper is made from paper products that have been used at least once. Marcal Premium 2-layer 100% recycled towel paper uses 60% post-consumer recycled content. It has received Green Seal certification, which means it meets high standards of health, sustainability and product performance. Marcal is manufactured in the United States and has also received an "A" rating from NRDC and received a corporate citizenship award.

This paper has been whitened, does not contain chlorine-containing chemicals, does not contain dyes and fragrances, and is almost lint-free and pollution-free. Marcal is one of the few long-term large tissue paper companies that have successfully developed environmentally friendly products that meet the green market standards. This kind of toilet paper can be found everywhere, and the price is reasonable.

Although there are several unbleached options, most are not yet FSC certified. We like Bim Bam Boo Organic 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper because it meets all the criteria. It is free of fragrances, dyes, chlorine, formaldehyde, BPA, phthalates and lint. It is suitable for septic tanks, RVs and boats. It has also passed the BioPreferred certification of the United States Department of Agriculture and uses plastic-free packaging.

These paper rolls are individually packaged in recyclable and compostable tissue paper, we can do without it, all in a recyclable cardboard container. The roll is a little smaller than standard wood pulp toilet paper, but because of its strong thickness, you can use less. Depending on where you buy Bim Bam Boo, it may be twice as expensive as Caboo or Cloud Paper, but it may be worth it for some people.  

The brand founded by women revealed that the company is identified by 60% of black, indigenous and colored people (BIPOC), 40% of blacks and 100% of women. Bim Bam Boo is committed to establishing an 80% partnership with "black and brown-led" organizations. It also donated toilet paper and some sales to communities in North Minneapolis.

Most toilet paper rolls contain a paper tube that can be recycled or composted. Some conscientious manufacturers ensure that the tube or core is made of recycled cardboard to reduce the impact on the environment. Or you can buy tubeless or coreless toilet paper rolls.

This kind of toilet paper not only has no cardboard core, but also eliminates inner packaging and other corrugated materials. It is also made from 25% post-consumer recycled fiber. It is compatible with compact quadrilateral, vertical and side-by-side toilet paper dispensers. When you are ready to use tubeless, this is the paper for you.

Consumers today are lucky to be able to easily find a variety of high-quality organic bamboo and 100% recycled toilet paper. Try Betterway 100% Bamboo (view in Betterway) to get the best balance of price, quality and environmental considerations.

If the slightly higher price feels too much or too much promised, please buy some Caboo Tree-Free Bamboo Toilet Paper (check it at Walmart). You will be very happy that you do it every time you flush.

Bamboo is considered a sustainable alternative because it is a fast-growing crop (trees take months instead of years) and it requires less land than traditional wood fibers. Its use has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 30%.  

But not all bamboos are created equal. Shoppers should try their best to stick to the products of bamboo producers certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC is a non-profit organization that can ensure the sustainable growth of bamboo fibers, without destroying the forest to make room for bamboo crops, and their The process is chlorine-free. However, some bamboo paper manufacturers have applied for but have not yet obtained certification, and it will take time to obtain approval. Unless otherwise stated, all of the above bamboo toilet papers have passed FSC certification. 

Although major toilet paper manufacturers are making slow progress in abandoning virgin boreal forest pulp, many new brands are offering toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper, or even better, post-consumer recycled toilet paper.

Post-consumption just means that the original paper cannot be recycled in other ways, so using it for toilet paper can save it from the landfill. FSC also certifies recycled and post-consumer recycled products, so please be aware of this and the highest percentage you can find when choosing to buy products.

In the past 100 years, people have used many techniques to make paper products whiter. Most people use chlorine bleach. A common household laundry bleach is 5% to 6% sodium hypochlorite. The chlorine in it is toxic in aquatic (and terrestrial) environments, and the concentration used to whiten pulp is usually much higher.

Chlorine-free bleach is made from solutions of other chemicals, such as sodium percarbonate or sodium perborate (borax), which work in a similar way, oxidizing or decomposing the compounds that make up the color of the pulp. Although considered to be better for the environment than chlorine-based products, these chemicals are also bad for our waterways. The European Union has banned the use of sodium perborate because it is classified as a reproductive toxin.  

Therefore, if you choose any paper product, including paper that will touch your most intimate areas, your best choice will be unbleached. However, before consumers adapt to non-bright white products, you will find many chlorine-free bleaching products.

In 2018, the United States accounted for approximately 56% of Canadian pulp and paper exports, and approximately 35% of northern bleached softwood kraft pulp from Canada’s boreal forests. Most American toilet paper product manufacturers use this fiber to make toilet paper. Sadly, these numbers are still growing.

The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that at least 26 million metric tons of carbon are released from Canada’s boreal forests every year — which is equivalent to cutting down a small city block every minute — equivalent to 5.5 million passenger cars.

This deforestation has many negative effects. Habitat loss has threatened northern reindeer, lynx, pine marten, and several songbirds. These same losses are affecting the lifestyles of indigenous communities and their ancestors who have lived in the forest for thousands of years.

Although it is still slowly becoming popular, one way to significantly reduce the amount of toilet paper in the home is to install a bidet. This convenient cleaning device can be used independently or connected to your existing toilet. They have been widely used in Japan, Venezuela, and parts of Europe for decades. Using a bidet can reduce your toilet paper usage by about 75%, from about 23 rolls per person per year to about 6 rolls-saving trees and money.

Although it has not been widely used, wheat straw toilet paper will develop in our direction in the next few years, and a new pulp mill will be opened in the Pacific Northwest. Wheat straw is one of the best alternative materials because it is an agricultural by-product that might otherwise be burned.

Lorraine Wilde tries to learn as much as possible about the frontiers of environmental technology. She is proud to help consumers make healthy, informed and environmentally conscious choices to protect their families and our planet. She also has a master's degree in environmental science and uses this education to let her consumers choose one product at a time.

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