Finding an eco friendly alternative to toilet paper is a bigger deal than ever before. In the age of coronavirus-inspired panic buying of toilet paper, going number two has never been more stressful. But even outside of a crisis-induced panic, toilet paper has a pretty big impact. According to Brondell, we flush 27,000 trees worth of toilet paper down the toilet each and every day.

And what about the water impact? Sure, there’s a gallon or so being flushed down the toilet, but every roll of toilet paper requires about 37 gallons of water to grow and manufacture.

And then there’s the bleaching of the paper. The toilet paper industry uses a total of 235,000 tons of chlorine that inevitably makes its way into our waterways, polluting fresh water systems.

There really is a lot about the toilet paper that’s unfriendly to the environment and pretty messed up. Fortunately, there are eco-friendly alternatives to using toilet paper. These are three options that are easier on the environment.

The eco friendly bidet as an alternative to toilet paper

Initially, we were pretty skeptical of the bidet. But we grabbed one for a few bucks off the internet, hooked it up, and were pleasantly surprised by the results. We found that the spray of water wasn’t enough by itself, some toilet paper was still required.

The bidet probably removed about 90% of the unclean business, so a little bit of TP was still required. But a bidet in conjunction with our next recommendation is a one-two TP knockout.

The family cloth instead of toilet paper

The family cloth cleaning method is exactly what it sounds like – a cloth that the whole family uses. Woah woah woah, wait a second, ew, right? Well relax. That part was in jest.

In reality, the ‘family cloth’ is a series of cloths used to wipe. After use, they go into a wet bag, which is a reusable, waterproof and leak resistant bag that zips shut to prevent odors and anything unfriendly leaking out. When full, the contents of the wet bag can be thrown in your laundry and washed.

Pro tip: wash the cloths alone.

With the bidet removing the vast majority of nasty business from your undercarriage, the family cloths don’t actually get especially gross. Nothing that a wash and spin cycle can’t take care of at least. This is your best option for an eco friendly alternative to toilet paper.

Eco friendly bamboo toilet paper

Alright, so if you’ve made it this far and you’re thinking ‘to hell with this, this website is disgusting, I’m going to go hoard some TP,’ hold up! If toilet paper is an absolute must, there are still some reasonably eco friendly options.

The most widely available green toilet paper would probably be recycled toilet paper. No, it’s not recycled as in used toilet paper getting a new life! Recycled toilet paper is typically made from other types of recycled paper.

If you’re avoiding tree products all together, which is reasonable and respectable, there is toilet paper made from bamboo as well. Bamboo looks a bit like a tree but is actually a grass. When grown commercially, bamboo can be harvested at about 5 years old and then promptly regrows itself.

Don’t worry about perfection

When it comes to things like this, the fact that you’re even reading an article about toilet paper alternatives is a good thing. Even if none of the options we suggested will work for you and your family, keep searching. You’re on the right track!

And if you implement these ideas but slip up and buy toilet paper, don’t beat yourself up. Get back on the eco friendly wiping wagon!

Related: Eco Friendly Trash Bag Alternatives

Please support our ad-free articles!

Thank you for reading! This website is a labor of love managed by one guy trying to make a difference. This website isn’t funded by ads and you won’t be hit with any annoying paywalls or pop ups. If you liked what you read and want to support, check out our Patreon. Even just $5 a month helps us keep the lights on and the articles coming.