Green Living

I’m sure just about everyone knows what a bidet is, however I have never used one, and neither has anyone that I know.  Using toilet paper is simply ingrained in our society – we can’t picture using something else.  With all of the talk lately however about eco-friendly products and being more environmentally conscious, the bidet warrants a bit of discussion. 

I’ll be honest – the only experience I have had with a bidet is seeing one in the scene of the Crocodile Dundee movie, where he is in the hotel in New York trying to figure out what it is.  Personally, the thought of using one would make me cringe a bit, and I imagine the majority of Americans feel the same way.  However, in European, Asian, and Latin American countries where the bidet is common, they probably feel the same way about toilet paper.

Advantages of a bidet:

- Less irritating than toilet paper.

- More hygienic than toilet paper.

- Reduces toilet paper usage greatly:  America uses approximately 26 billion rolls of toilet paper per year – about 23.6 rolls per person.  Roughly 10 million trees have to be pulped to accommodate this much toilet paper.  Bidets being the norm would greatly reduce these numbers.  Even if everyone began using recycled toilet paper the amount of natural resources needed would be greatly reduced.

- Saves water:  You might think a bidet would cause more water consumption, but you likely won’t have to ever flush twice due to large amounts of toilet paper, and if bidets were used more they would cut down on the amount of water needed for the process of creating toilet paper itself.  Each year alone almost 470 billion gallons of water are used to create toilet paper.

-Save yourself money:  Depending on the size of your family (and the model of bidet you get) a bidet could pay for itself after about 1 year with the amount of money you would save by using substantially less toilet paper. 

Bidets certainly do have advantages.  What are your thoughts on them?  Post your opinion in the comments section!

Review us on Facebook and tell us what you think of our service. How do you like our products, our website, our customer service? Do you use our shopping list feature? What could we do better?

For your feedback, we will send you a free sample canister of Green Works Wipes*, a natural eco-friendly cleaning wipe that is biodegradable. Use these pre-moistened wipes to clean grease, grime and dust in your home or office.

Thank you for your participation and for shopping at ToiletPaperWorld.com . We look forward to improving based upon your comments!

*While supplies last.

In celebration of Arbor Day, this Friday April 29, we are putting Marcal Recycled Paper Products on sale!

There are recycled paper napkins, facial tissue, paper towels and toilet paper on sale this week. Sale  prices are valid until 5/2/11. Save trees and shop recycled paper products today!

Using green laundry detergent from brands such as Seventh Generation or Clorox GreenWorks may help prolong the life of your linens. Natural laundry detergents are more environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and made from all-natural, plant-derived ingredients. They are gentle enough so they won’t irritate sensitive skin, but strong enough to lift out stains.

Check out the article below for more tips for washing laundry from the Holland Sentinel. Though they are specifically referring to sheets and towels, these tips can be applied to any type of laundry.

We use sheets and towels daily, but given proper care, they can last for years. And while prolonging the life of the items we own isn’t as obviously green as, say, recycling, this practice helps conserve resources and save money.

The life expectancy of your linens depends on how much use they get, says Linda Cobb, who offers cleaning advice under the name The Queen of Clean.

Putting sheets right back on the bed will cause them to wear out a little faster, says Cobb, but the tradeoff is saving time with folding, particularly those tedious fitted sheets. A few other simple steps can help prolong the life of these household staples.

1. Use the right product

Your choice of detergent certainly matters for laundry items, but also the environment.

“Harsh detergents and bleaches break down fabric fibers,” says Cobb, who personally recommends the Vaska line. She recommends using “quality, safe, natural laundry products” to extend the life of linens.

2. Read the label

Check labels and wash sheets and towels at the recommended water temperature; some items call for a gentle wash cycle or should not be bleached. Most Americans also use too much detergent, according to the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science, especially as washers become more efficient and detergents more concentrated. Excess suds can re-deposit soiling matter on your laundry.

3. Don’t let soiling build up

Unlike blue jeans, which benefit from fewer washes, going too long between launderings for sheets and towels causes dark discoloration to build up that won’t necessarily wash out. Cobb recommends pre-treating any spots so stains don’t set in.

4. Thoroughly dry items before putting them away

Still-damp sheets and towels can harbor bacteria and mold, according to the American Cleaning Institute, formerly the Soap and Detergent Association. This is also true of damp linens stuffed in a hamper, or towels that don’t dry out fully between uses.

5. Line dry when possible

That fuzzy buildup in your dryer’s lint tray is made up of fibers that used to be part of your sheets and towels. This is normal for newly purchased items, says Cobb. But each trip to the dryer eats away, ever so slightly, at your linens. If weather and local ordinances permit, hang out your linens to dry and cut down on both energy use and wear and tear. If you do use the dryer, be sure to clean out the lint trap after every use.

Did you know?

Concentrated versions of laundry detergent and fabric softener use 15 to 50 percent less material than traditional packaging, according to the American Cleaning Institute.

If you happen to be buying new linens, Egyptian cotton is known for having a long lifespan. Organic cotton and cotton-bamboo blends are generally grown using sustainable methods.

Next month, Kimberly-Clark is unveiling a new product for retail stores. Coreless toilet paper in household roll sizes!

Of course, there are already coreless toilet paper rolls sold, generally wholesale for businesses and high volume toilet paper dispensers.

Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper will be sold at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores throughout the Northeast.

Why go coreless?

An estimated 17 billion cardboard tubes are thrown away each year, enough to circle the Earth’s equator more than 45 times, as reported in USA Today. Some people use the cardboard tubes from toilet paper for arts and craft projects, but most end up in the trash. The new tube free toilet paper may appeal to environmental groups.

Our own Toilet Paper King, Kenn Fischburg, said that some toilet paper cardboard tubes actually end up flushed down the toilet. In an interview with AOL News, he said,

You’d be surprised at how many people clog up toilets with the cardboard tubes. You run out of paper and, out of anger, shove the tube in the toilet, or people will do that as a prank.

The tube free toilet paper rolls will retain their shape without the core and still fit on standard toilet paper dispenser spindles.

Are you going to go coreless? Or do you reuse the cardboard for other uses?

Here is another example of using toilet paper rolls as art. Artist Yuken Teruya uses cardboard toilet paper tubes as the basis for a cut out of a tree, as though the tree is springing into life from the toilet paper roll itself. Intensely detailed branches carved into the cardboard give these sculptures an atmosphere of stillness and beauty.

Thanks to Lost at E Minor for the pic!

Did you know that at least 400,000 trees would be saved if EVERY home in the U.S. replaced just one roll of toilet paper made from virgin pulp with one roll of toilet paper made from recycled paper? That can’t be much to ask, right?

Soft toilet paper is made from trees that are cut down, which also affects the forests and the entire surrounding environment and ecosystem. Using recycled toilet paper decreases the need for cutting down trees for this everyday household product.

Not all recycled toilet paper is made equal though, see the EPA guidelines for recycled toilet paper.

Check out the selection of recycled toilet paper at ToiletPaperWorld.com and start saving trees today!

So far I’ve seen toilet paper art and recycled toilet paper roll art. But this is the first time that I’ve seen any recycled toilet art!

This toilet go cart actually runs! It tops out at 35 mph. There are six toilet paper roll dispensers as well, a nice touch to the bathroom theme. Dave, the man who made this go-cart, also uses miniature cars for custom USB drives.

Recycling is a big theme here at ToiletPaperWorld.com, so we give a big two thumbs up for this recycled toilet vehicle.

Thanks to Inhabit for the photo!

Celebrate Earth Day at ToiletPaperWorld.com. Discounts on recycled toilet paper and recycled paper towels by Boardwalk Green.

CLICK HERE to view ALL discounted products.

*Sale prices valid until 4/25/2010. Sale prices are final and include member discount.

Buying recycled paper products made from recycled paper helps reduce the need for virgin wood pulp and deforestation. Recycled toilet paper and paper towels are earth friendly, sustainable products. Buying eco-friendly products is a great first step towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Leave a smaller carbon footprint by buying recycled paper towels and toilet paper!

Boardwalk Green and Boardwalk Green PLUS products are Green Seal certified, exceeding EPA guidelines for post-consumer wastepaper content. Recycled toilet paper and recycled paper towels are processed chlorine-free, releasing less chemicals into the environment. Choose Boardwalk Green for quality recycled paper products for your home, business, or office today.

This year, make a smaller carbon footprint while you spring clean with environmentally friendly cleaning products! See all Spring Cleaning Products on sale at ToiletPaperWorld.com

Spring Cleaning Tips for Green Cleaning

Use Recycled Paper Towels

Sunrise Recycled Paper Towels. A greener way to clean for spring! Buy a case of recycled paper towels from ToiletPaperWorld.com for an even lower price for an earth-friendly cleaning choice.

Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

Another economical and eco-friendly choice for cleaning is Microfiber Cloths – on sale this week only at ToiletPaperWorld.com. Microfiber cleaning cloths are reusable cleaning cloths, and can be washed up to 100 times!

See all spring cleaning products that are on sale.  Remember, ToiletPaperWorld.com offers free shipping on orders over $75!