Toilet paper is not something many of us have put much thought into, but like anything we buy or consume, it has a definite impact in our world.

Toilet paper's impact on the Earth has made major news this week as a study has proven that American toilet paper consumption is destroying Canadian forests. This is more than a mere annoyance. It's a threat to their wildlife, their cultures, and to the whole planet. We need those trees to fight climate change.

Toilet paper (and the destruction behind it) has been blowing my mind for a while- you can read about toilet paper on my list of green basics (and how to make them affordable). You can find great options for any paper product on this post (you really can get recycled paper for almost anything).

But if you don't have the time for a bunch of research, let me give you the quick and dirty version (yeah, I made that joke). Toilet paper is an EASY place to make a positive impact. You just need to know a few things. Let's do this:

1. It is as Bad as You Have Heard

The toilet paper we have all been buying at the grocery stores our whole lives are stripping our forests of desperately needed trees. You can read the NRDC study about the connection between American toilet paper companies and the arboreal destruction taking place in Canada.

These companies are razing entire old-growth forests, homes to wildlife and some Native tribes, all so you can wipe your butt.

This is particularly devastating because we know that trees are one of the best defenses we have against Climate Change; in fact according to Yale, if we could plant about 1.2 trillion of them, they could cancel out 10 years of CO2 emissions. Instead, our forests continue to decrease at rapid speeds. We need those trees to cool our Earth. It's time to do something, and it starts with your own butt.

If that wasn't enough, this toilet paper also comes wrapped in plastic (pretty needlessly), so it adds to our ever-growing burden of plastic waste and pollution. A lot of serious problems going on at once. 

2. Your TP has Politics

This chart is floating around on Facebook. What I think is worth noting, is that many of the companies that fail are also owned by the Koch Brothers. You can read all bout this and their anti-environmental politics in this post.

So, by buying toilet paper that is mindful of the environment, you are also refusing money to a company that actively campaigns against the EPA and thinks that the rules should not apply to them. We don't think of these everyday purchases as political, and billionaires like the Koch borthers take advantage of this fact. By simply being aware and putting our money into more ethical companies, we are doing good on a practical level AND an ideological one.

3. Bamboo TP is Best, Recycled TP is a Mixed Bag

If I had to give you advice, I would say get recycled paper towels and bamboo toilet paper. Here's why:

Though recycled toilet paper is better for the environment, it could be potentially problematic to your body. Recycled paper has traces of plastic in it, because of shiny, plastic-covered magazine pages. For that reason, it may not be the best thing to put close to a major orifice. It puts (a small amount of) toxic chemials known to cause hormonal changes, endocrine problems, and cancers to your most delicate and susceptible places. Plastic is harmful where it is, and there is plastic in recycled paper.

THAT SAID, let's all take a minute to remember these are the same nasty plastic chemicals that we buy our food and drink wrapped in. So if you drink pop from a bottle or buy a frozen pizza, you are just sending the same chemicals through another vulnerable orifice. So, if you are still ok with those things, than this toilet paper is relatively tame compared to your food.

If you are concerned about the chemicals in plastic, bamboo is the best option for your health and the Earth. I will recommend companies for both bamboo and recycled paper, but this is the twist that doesn't always get said (but it worth knowing).

4. When in Doubt, Go Big

Our toilet paper is a good decision we make about once a year. We buy in BULK. This cuts down on the plastic, but it also keeps the switch very affordable. If you are still buying 8 or 12 rolls at a time, switching to bulk options will still be cheaper by the roll. Costco or even Amazon has bulk options.

We don't all have the space to house a year's supply of toilet paper. Check in with friends and see if they would like to split a huge order with you. I am calling this "Bulk Sharing" and I think this method of pooling resources and splitting huge orders can help people who live in small spaces access these items without living in a toilet paper hoard.

There is another benefit from this. When we buy the things we know we will need with longer term thinking (we can assume if we are living, we are also using the toilet), we stop having emergencies. Having to make urgent decisions (like the ones you make when running to the grocery store for something that has run out) leads to worse choices and more harm done. In terms of the environment, we are our worst selves in emergency mode. This can be a great way to break that habit.

5. We Can Do Better... Pretty Easily this Time

Ok, let's start with a regular toilet company, perhaps one with the most pointless bears as spokespeople. Worst, most condescending, and weirdest ads of all time. So let's start there. Charmin Ultra Strong comes in a pack of 9 for 16.95, so that is about 1.88 a roll.

So these are our best suggestions for shopping instead. Notice they are all cheaper, and most come wrapped in (recycled) paper instead of plastic as well.

Tushy toilet paper is made in America out of bamboo using eco-friendly practices. You would think it would be the most expensive, but it is 33 dollars for 36 rolls of toilet paper, so if you buy it in bulk it is under a dollar a roll. Ridiculously great. Thank me later.

The other pretty awesome new company is Who Gives a Crap that has recycled (48 for 48, so a dollar a roll) and bamboo (56 for 48 , so 1.16 a roll) toilet paper options. Equally cool, they donate half of their proceeds to building toilets around the world (did you know 2.3 BILLION people don't have access to a toilet?). So much awesomeness for wiping your butt!

Last year, we used Seventh Generation, and we bought 60 rolls for about 68 dollars (about 1.14 a roll). It serves its purpose and we generally like it. The Boy would tell you it is too thin. It also comes in all recyclable packaging

Marcal Small Steps sells 40 rolls, 1000 sheets each, is 50.66, so about 1.20 a roll.

Green 2 Tree Free- This company is pretty awesome (and lady-owned!), but the product is a little more fancy. It is made out of bamboo and sugar cane bi-products, both of which are quick-growing and sustainable, and you don't have to worry about BPA at all. If you buy in bulk (96 rolls at 114 dollars, so basically all you need forever, right?), you can get it for 1.16 a roll, which is even cheaper than the other options. Also has great reviews and comes in recyclable, plastic-free packaging.

6. Other Options Exist

If you are trying to go fully zero waste, you still have options!

First, you could do a bidet (or a bidet attachment like this one from Tushy). Not only do you get to be fancy and European, but you would save money with only a few years of use. If I had to guess, I would expect these to be way more mainstream in not much time.

The other option is family cloths, which is essentially toilet paper you wash and reuse. It has the worst name ever- it just sounds like you are spreading unspeakable things on your family members. I know a few zero waste people who use family cloths when they pee. Saves money and cuts way down on the paper product you are wasting.

7. You can Speak Up

Feel guilty for the decades of toilet paper you used? Don't. You didn't know, but now you do. If anything, turn that guilt into action and speak up to the company you felt (weird) loyalty to before.

The NRDC is specifically calling out Proctor and Gamble, who sell Charmin, not for their terrible bears, but for their part in uprooting old growth trees needlessly. Call the company and back the NRDC up! Just let them know you won't give them your money until they switch to more sustainable practices. The more people they hear from, the more they will feel that pressure.



See!? So many options that don't suck! The key here is to just end your family's relationship with virgin paper products. So little of what we need and use actually needs fresh paper for it, and every time you buy post-consumer recycled or sustainable products, you send a message to the market that you won't tolerate their destructive nonsense.

So, who is switching? Let me know how it goes!

Oh politics, they are everywhere, right? Sometimes, we just want to escape them, but our shopping is ALWAYS loaded with politics.

For example, you run out of toilet paper and head to the grocery store to pick some up before things get gross. The aisle is FILLED with paper products, wrapped in plastic with showy labels. You pick Angel Soft, maybe because of the cute baby picture or it is on sale or because that is just what you buy, and we all are weirdly loyal to brands for no real reason.

So you bought toilet paper, no big deal. But Angel Soft (among a bunch of paper products- Brawny, Sparkle, and Dixie to start, but you can read a better list here) is owned by Georgia Pacific, which is owned by the Koch Brothers.

Yes, the Koch Brothers who...

Hold political "reterats" with senators and representatives, setting the agenda and controlling them with their massive amounts of money. Are behind so much of the nonsense going on right now. Are fighting for all of the environmental deregulation. The list goes on and on.

So whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you probably feel a little uneasy about your representative being more invested in these billionaire's interests than the welfare of their constituents and the country. Our government should work for us, not big businesses who buy them, because we live in a democracy, not an oligarchy.

But every time you buy Angel Soft, you are investing in big money's ever growing pull on American politics.

If that isn't bad enough, this product is made of 100% virgin tree and pulp (nothing recycled) so they are terrible for the environment. Not enough? They have actively fought the EPA to allow their factories to remain dirty and polluting, feeling that the rules should not apply to them (can you imagine? From the Koch Brothers?).

Lastly, though they definitely have offices in the Atlanta area, it's unclear how much of Georgia Pacific's products are still made in the United States. It looks like at least some chunk is made in China.

So, there has to be a better way, right? Can't we make our toilet paper a little less evil?

Yes, I've got you. Let's do this-

1. Bulk Bulk Bulk

You want to rock at this? Be more eco-friendly, stop funding Un-American billionaires, save money? Stop buying your toilet paper at the grocery store all together. You can save a lot of money (and often side step all that plastic-wrapped packaging) by just switching to bulk.

You can buy bulk online or somewhere like Costco (though they often aren't as great about packaging as you would hope).

 Don't have the space? Team up with some friends and buy this stuff bulk together. Perfect way to save money.

Bamboo TP is Best, Recycled TP is a Mixed Bag

If I had to give you advice, I would say get recycled paper towels and bamboo toilet paper. Here's why:

Though recycled toilet paper is better for the environment, it could be potentially problematic to your body. Recycled paper has traces of plastic in it, because of shiny, plastic-covered magazine pages. For that reason, it may not be the best thing to put close to a major orifice. It puts (a small amount of) toxic chemials known to cause hormonal changes, endocrine problems, and cancers to your most delicate and susceptible places. Plastic is harmful where it is, and there is plastic in recycled paper.

THAT SAID, let's all take a minute to remember these are the same nasty plastic chemicals that we buy our food and drink wrapped in. So if you drink pop from a bottle or buy a frozen pizza, you are just sending the same chemicals through another vulnerable orifice. So, if you are still ok with those things, than this toilet paper is relatively tame compared to your food.

If you are concerned about the chemicals in plastic, bamboo is the best option for your health and the Earth. I will recommend companies for both bamboo and recycled paper, but this is the twist that doesn't always get said (but it worth knowing).

4. When in Doubt, Go Big

Our toilet paper is a good decision we make about once a year. We buy in BULK. This cuts down on the plastic, but it also keeps the switch very affordable. If you are still buying 8 or 12 rolls at a time, switching to bulk options will still be cheaper by the roll. Costco or even Amazon has bulk options.

We don't all have the space to house a year's supply of toilet paper. Check in with friends and see if they would like to split a huge order with you. I am calling this "Bulk Sharing" and I think this method of pooling resources and splitting huge orders can help people who live in small spaces access these items without living in a toilet paper hoard.

There is another benefit from this. When we buy the things we know we will need with longer term thinking (we can assume if we are living, we are also using the toilet), we stop having emergencies. Having to make urgent decisions (like the ones you make when running to the grocery store for something that has run out) leads to worse choices and more harm done. In terms of the environment, we are our worst selves in emergency mode. This can be a great way to break that habit.

5. We Can Do Better... Pretty Easily this Time

Ok, let's start with a regular toilet company, perhaps one with the most pointless bears as spokespeople. Worst, most condescending, and weirdest ads of all time. So let's start there. Charmin Ultra Strong comes in a pack of 9 for 16.95, so that is about 1.88 a roll.

So these are our best suggestions for shopping instead. Notice they are all cheaper, and most come wrapped in (recycled) paper instead of plastic as well.

Tushy toilet paper is made in America out of bamboo using eco-friendly practices. You would think it would be the most expensive, but it is 33 dollars for 36 rolls of toilet paper, so if you buy it in bulk it is under a dollar a roll. Ridiculously great. Thank me later.

The other pretty awesome new company is Who Gives a Crap that has recycled (48 for 48, so a dollar a roll) and bamboo (56 for 48 , so 1.16 a roll) toilet paper options. Equally cool, they donate half of their proceeds to building toilets around the world (did you know 2.3 BILLION people don't have access to a toilet?). So much awesomeness for wiping your butt!

Last year, we used Seventh Generation, and we bought 60 rolls for about 68 dollars (about 1.14 a roll). It serves its purpose and we generally like it. The Boy would tell you it is too thin. It also comes in all recyclable packaging

Marcal Small Steps sells 40 rolls, 1000 sheets each, is 50.66, so about 1.20 a roll.

Green 2 Tree Free- This company is pretty awesome (and lady-owned!), but the product is a little more fancy. It is made out of bamboo and sugar cane bi-products, both of which are quick-growing and sustainable, and you don't have to worry about BPA at all. If you buy in bulk (96 rolls at 114 dollars, so basically all you need forever, right?), you can get it for 1.16 a roll, which is even cheaper than the other options. Also has great reviews and comes in recyclable, plastic-free packaging.

6. Other Options Exist

If you are trying to go fully zero waste, you still have options!

First, you could do a bidet (or a bidet attachment like this one from Tushy). Not only do you get to be fancy and European, but you would save money with only a few years of use. If I had to guess, I would expect these to be way more mainstream in not much time.

The other option is family cloths, which is essentially toilet paper you wash and reuse. It has the worst name ever- it just sounds like you are spreading unspeakable things on your family members. I know a few zero waste people who use family cloths when they pee. Saves money and cuts way down on the paper product you are wasting.

Want more shopping tips and ideas for avoiding unethical companies? I have got you covered- check out my Giant List of Shopping Lists.

Want to make your home greener? No matter the size or location, you can limit your waste and make your house have a more positive impact on the environment. Check out the Green Home Page for thousands of ideas on how to do it.

Dear Millenials,

We go through these phases where older generations love to blame us for everything, and it drives me crazy. It reminds me of someone who comes in and absolutely wrecks your home, then whines, complains and yells at you for not cleaning up their mess fast enough.

Seriously, if it rains tomorrow it will be our fault. All those participation trophies that they handed out, our fault. Bad breakfast? Our fault. Bee sting? Our fault.

The newest thing that we millenials are being blamed for is the death of products and industries that were apparently meant to last forever. Apparently, our spending choices (just ours, not everyone's) are robbing the world of the glory of such gems as cereal, crappy shopping malls, and Applebees.

Now not to get all millenialish on you (where is my avocado toast?), but I am not going to weep if some of this stuff kicks the bucket. Chains like Applebees put bland, high fat non-local food out there, and they chase out local businesses as they do it. If we as a generation choose to eat at locally-owned restaurants instead, good on us. If we eat out less because we need to pay our student loans, that seems good too.

Same for cereal- mostly it isn't that nutritious, and they create a lot of waste with those plastic bags inside the box. If we have discovered lots of other, better breakfasts, good on us.

But there is one thing supposedly on the millenial chopping block that I need to take a stand for. That I think we could all actually benefit from keeping in the mix.

 Bar Soap.

Now, according to the study a slew of millenial bar soap articles is based on, millenials find bar soap to be kind of gross and less convenient. Maybe we all have memories of someone else's hair attached to a bar of soap. Yep, that's icky. I am not going to try to say it isn't.

But you know what is way worse than an icky hair or the endless effort of lathering?

Plastic.

We can feel annoyed that previous generations are wrong about us, but on this one we are absolutely wrong, and it's worth looking in to. In fact, I don't care what generation you are, bar soap is worth saving.

I am pretty sure that in a few years, we are going to see plastics the same way we see asbestos or a random needle plopped outside our front door. Worse than gross or annoying- truly threatening and unpleasant.

Liquid soap and body wash all come in plastic tubs and bottles, some with the push lid. Most cannot be returned to the company for re-use (though not all). Many of us don't have recycling (though you may be surprised- check terracycle). So our preference for liquid soap is just another one of the invisible sources of our plastic addiction.

Even if you buy large bulk liquid soap (which you should if you really can't say good bye), you will still create enough plastic trash from your soap to fill your bathroom from floor to ceiling. Something to reflect on while you stand in the shower.

By 2050 (when we are all middle aged and complaining about the next generation), our oceans will have more plastic in it than fish. Things won't be safe to eat and chemicals will constantly be leeching into our water and food supply. Our whole world will be bogged down in garbage. If we can be the generation that rids the world of Applebees, we can certainly take a stand and turn the tides on this massive problem too. For future terrible generations. Or even just so we can enjoy our lives.

So bar soap can help save the world. No joke. It's got the power. 

You can find so many brands and companies that make their soap with paper packaging or no packaging at all. They also sell tons of soap dishes at secondhand stores, because Baby Boomers apparently don't want them. This shift from disposable plastic to plastic-free is huge, and we have to be making it in every area of our lives. This jump just happens to be easy and awesome.

So just by switching to bar soap, we can eliminate one source of plastic from our lives. Easily. With barely any effort.

We made the leap last year, and I honestly don't think it feels like a sacrifice at all. We use Kiss my Face olive oil soap, which smells great and my skin is the best it has ever felt in adulthood. Let me tell you some other great things about my soap.

1. You get More for your Money

 14 4 oz bars (56 oz) of dove bar soap is less than 14 dollars. That's less than a dollar a bar (or less than a quarter an ounce). Same brand bodywash is 8.70 for 34 oz (slightly more than 25 cents an ounce). This might seem like a negligible difference, but bar soap also wastes less soap per use, because you get to choose exactly how much you want. We tend to use more body wash than we need.

 Maybe it won't be enough to pay off college loans, but it will add up over time. Like I said, we switched last year. We are still on our second bar of soap after all this time. Saving money for sure.

2. You have TONS of Options

For a product that is supposedly dying from millenial neglect, bar soap certainly seems to have a lot of great options. Even Dove bar soap, which may seem outdated, still won as one of the best soaps (competing with liquid soaps) last year. Plus, bar soap actually seems to have an up and coming coolness again (or for the first time?), if you believe those crazy kids at Vogue.

More beloved soaps you might want to try? There are great options for face and body soap- Dr. Bronner's, Burt's Bee's, Cetaphil,  Badger Organic Bar Soap, L'Occitane Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap, Paul Mitchell Body Bar, Aveda Rosemary Bath Bar, LUSH soaps, and The Greater Goods. This is just the tip of the soapberg. I have even seen soaps at fair trade stores that are the product of all sorts of positive missions.

Bar soaps are doing big things, and smelling all kinds of good while they are at it.

Then, there's Etsy. When you put bar soap into Etsy, you get 100,000 options. My favorite would be Herbivore Botanicals and RockyTopSoapShop, but you have so much to choose from.

3. You Control the Hair

I still hear you about the hairs. But the funny thing about being an adult is that you get to pick what's normal. And hairs need not be normal. Lather on a washcloth and you won't even feel like you are rubbing the same bar on you as someone else. You can do this.

4. Did I Mention You Eliminate One Plastic From Your Life? 

This is huge, because it means you have won a huge victory against waste before you even get starter. It basically guarantees that every time you lather up, you do some good (and save the world from your stink).

You can buy great brands of bar soap in paper packaging or no packaging at all. So this step has huge impact. If you can't find bars in your local grocery store or pharmacy, be sure to check smaller local stores before you throw in the towel and shop online (where it inevitably will get shipped in plastic, because life).

Most plastics (including most soap bottles) have BPA and other chemicals in them. These have proven to leech into things AND mess with your hormones. So that is what you are wiping all over your skin and into your bloodstream. So getting more plastic out of your life, also keeps trash out of landfills and unnecessary chemicals out of your body.

Using bar soap just makes life that little bit better. Don't let it go the way of cereal.



So, my dear millenials, bar soap isn't behind us. It is right in front of us. With a little bit of courage, we can break away from our liquid soap brethren.

Want more shopping inspiration? I have TONS of ideas of how to make your shopping greener, cutting out waste, and finding the local gems near you! Check out the Giant List of Lists for more great stuff!

Want to make your home greener? No matter the size or location, you can limit your waste and make your house have a more positive impact on the environment. Check out the Green Home Page for thousands of ideas on how to do it.