The Best Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper
You picked out the best reusable straw so you don’t need a plastic straw when you go out to eat. You even made the switch to a shampoo bar so you can reduce plastic bottle pollution. But have you made the switch to eco-friendly toilet paper yet?
Yes, that’s right. Those toilet rolls in your bathroom that you don’t think about actually contribute to a large part of deforestation around the world.
So we put our bums on the line to test different brands of toilet paper and help you get the best eco-friendly toilet paper for your zero waste bathroom.
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Why Switch to an Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper?
Most people don’t give much thought to how their loo roll is made. After all, it’s not like we go around discussing our bathroom business all the time.
However, when you consider that 27,000 trees are cut down EVERY DAY to make traditional toilet paper and the average American goes through 3 toilet paper rolls a week, it quickly becomes apparent that we actually have a major problem that no one is talking about.
These trees not only create the very air we breathe, but they’re also one of the planet’s most important defenses against climate change.
And it’s not just trees that we’re losing to logging. The practice is also destroying habitats for a variety of wildlife species and threatening the lands of indigenous peoples.
When you consider how much we lose every single day just for toilet paper, it quickly becomes clear that in order to have a zero waste bathroom, we have to make the switch to sustainable toilet paper.
Since there are several options on the market, we tested a variety of different brands to help you figure out which eco-friendly toilet paper will best suit your needs.
1. Best Overall
Who Gives a Crap toilet paper is the best overall and the one we use in our home because it has a lot of positives going for it.
One thing that everyone in my family loves about this toilet paper is that it’s incredibly soft. If you don’t tell anyone in your family that you’re switching from your regular toilet paper to this eco-friendly toilet paper, I highly doubt they would know the difference. It’s that soft!
The thing is that the three-ply sheets aren’t soft because they’re made from trees and virgin wood pulp. Instead, they’re made from 100% recycled fibers.
But don’t worry! Their recycled toilet paper doesn’t recycle used toilet paper. Instead, they use post-consumer waste paper, such as office paper.
You can get even softer toilet paper by choosing the premium 100% bamboo rolls. To make this bamboo paper, Who Gives sources its raw materials from farmers who plant bamboo on the borders of their small family farms.
Not only does this help farmers supplement their income, but it also means no vast areas of land are cleared, unlike what happens with industrial agriculture.
The toilet paper is whitened without using bleach or chlorine. It also doesn’t have any added fragrances or dyes, which makes it better for the environment and better for your health.
The toilet paper arrives at your door using carbon neutral shipping, and each roll is wrapped in paper instead of plastic to help you reduce plastic waste even more. You can recycle the paper, but it looks so pretty you can also get creative and reuse it as eco-friendly tissue paper or use it as zero waste gift wrap!
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Another thing we love about Who Gives a Crap is that this Certified B corporation believes in helping out. That’s why 50% of profits from all of their products go directly to charities that help developing communities with water, hygiene, and sanitation.
Plus, the toilet paper works with low-flow toilets in RVs and is safe for septic tanks. If you have a septic tank, don’t forget to check out our post on the best natural drain cleaners to make sure you don’t inadvertently harm the delicate balance in your system.
2. Best for Giving Back
If you’re interested in getting an eco-friendly toilet paper that gives back by helping out the planet and other people who live here, check out Reel toilet paper.
Not only does Reel offer some of the best eco-friendly toilet paper, but they also have some of the best eco-friendly paper towels.
Around the world, 2.4 billion people are forced to use the bathroom outside. This makes it easy for deadly pathogens to contaminate drinking water and lead to loss of life.
Related: How to Make an Incredibly Effective DIY Liquid Toilet Bowl Cleaner
The mission at Reel is simple: For every roll of toilet paper you buy, the company will donate a single-use biodegradable toilet to someone who needs it. These toilets neutralize bacteria so that waste can be turned into fertilizer.
Not only is Reel dedicated to helping others, but the company is also incredibly sustainable. The three-ply toilet paper is made from bamboo, which makes it super soft and super strong.
Reel is also a plastic-free company. The rolls are individually wrapped in packaging that’s 100% compostable or recyclable.
2. Best for Eliminating Toxins
Just one roll of conventional toilet paper requires 37 gallons of water and a gallon of chemicals to produce. Some of these chemicals include bleach, formaldehyde, and other carcinogens. Definitely things you don’t want touching your skin!
Even worse, most conventional toilet paper contains pulp harvested from the Boreal Forest, which is the world’s most important carbon sink and essential to help fight climate change.
However, Plant Paper offers a tree-free, toxin-free, 3-ply toilet paper you can feel good about using. Unlike conventional toilet paper that’s soft because it’s made from trees and virgin wood pulp, Plant Paper is soft because it’s made from fast-growing, FSC-certified bamboo.
It’s also strong, absorbent, and made entirely without the use of harmful chemicals. Yet it’s still super soft!
The toilet paper arrives at your door in a chipboard carton that’s 100% recycled, recyclable, compostable, and free of dyes and coating. Plus, Plant Paper’s entire supply chain — from manufacturing to shipping to your home — is completely plastic-free.
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You can sign up for the convenient subscription option and never have to worry about running out of toilet paper or dealing with the hassles of lugging a huge package of toilet paper home from the store.
3. Best Bamboo Toilet Paper
Bamboo is a great option for sustainability because it’s one of the fastest growing plants in the world. It’s also a hardy plant that farmers can grow without using toxic pesticides, which helps protect our land, water, and air.
Bamboo utensils are an excellent addition to a zero waste travel kit. You can find a variety of eco-friendly school supplies made with bamboo. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for plastic free and non-toxic sippy cups, and you can even get bamboo scrub brushes to make your cleaning routine more eco-friendly.
If you’re interested in the best bamboo toilet paper, you’ll love the bamboo toilet paper options from Bumboo. Since Bumboo toilet paper is made with the unique short fibers of bamboo, these rolls are incredibly soft and free of lint.
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When you choose bamboo toilet paper, you can rest assured you’re getting a product that’s naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It’s also free of pesticides, fertilizers, scents, dyes, BPA, PFAS, and formaldehyde.
Bumboo sustainably sources its bamboo from managed forests that preserve biological diversity and support the lives of local people and workers. It ships the eco-friendly toilet paper to your house using completely recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable packaging that’s printed using soy-based inks.
Best of all, your purchase helps plant trees. That’s because Bumboo has partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant one tree for every box sold. Not only does this help with vital reforestation projects, but it also employs local villagers whose livelihoods have been devastated by deforestation.
5. Best Tree-Free Toilet Paper
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly tree-free toilet paper that takes great strides to be as sustainable as possible, check out this premium bamboo toilet paper from Repurpose. That’s right! The same company that makes it so easy and affordable to have a zero waste cookout also makes luxuriously soft and strong bamboo toilet paper.
This eco-friendly toilet paper is made from 100% forest stewardship council-certified bamboo, which means it’s naturally antibacterial, anti-fungal, and hypoallergenic. It’s also fast dissolving, septic safe, and doesn’t include any inks, dyes, or scents.
Plus, Repurpose is a fantastic choice if you’re trying to reduce your plastic use. That’s because this is a completely plastic-free toilet paper. Each roll is individually wrapped in zero waste paper packaging and packed in a fully recyclable or compostable box.
Additionally, since chlorine bleach releases dangerous and potentially cancerous toxins into the environment, the toilet paper is whitened without it. If you’re interested in completely eliminating bleach from your life, check out how to make this incredibly effective homemade bleach alternative.
If you decide to go with tree-free toilet paper from Repurpose, be sure to use the code EARTHTIPS to enjoy 15% off your order!
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6. Best for Sensitive Skin
Whether you have eczema-prone skin or allergies, if you want an eco-friendly toilet paper that’s designed for sensitive skin, you need to get The Cheeky Panda toilet paper.
In addition to being amazingly soft and free of any dyes, artificial fragrances, or other nasty chemicals, this bamboo toilet paper is also naturally hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, so you don’t have to worry about any irritation.
The toilet paper comes in thick and strong three-ply sheets, which offers better absorption to keep your hand clean. It also means you can use less toilet paper to get the job done.
Related: How to Go Zero Waste on a Budget
Plus, not only does Cheeky Panda offer premium bamboo toilet paper, but the company is also working to create a happier and healthier planet. In addition to being carbon balanced, Cheeky Panda is also part of an initiative called Earth, Ocean & People, which supports The World Land Trust, Whale & Dolphin Conservation, and Toilet Twinning.
The toilet paper arrives in sustainable packaging that uses cardboard boxes with plastic-free tape. Plus, just like the other options on this list, it decomposes just like traditional wood-made toilet paper, so it’s safe to use with septic systems.
7. Best Toilet Paper Alternative
If you’re looking for one of the top toilet paper alternatives, consider family cloth from Marley’s Monsters. This reusable toilet paper will help you significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
They’re made from 100% cotton flannel that actually gets softer and more absorbent after a few washes. Each piece is about the size of 3 paper squares and surged around the edges for durability.
Unlike conventional toilet paper, you don’t flush these toilet unpaper strips. Instead, they work very similar to these top reusable paper towels and these best reusable cloth baby wipes.
After you use a square, toss it in a bin or wet bag. Every 2 to 3 days you can wash the cloths so you always have a fresh supply. Once they’re clean, you can fold them and store them in a box on the toilet or re-roll back on a toilet paper tube.
Best of all, this toilet paper alternative comes from one of the best zero waste online stores. This means you can be assured your order will arrive right at your front door without any plastic packaging.
Plus, with reusable toilet paper, you know you never have to worry about a toilet paper shortage ever again!
Bonus Option! A Bidet Attachment
If you’re looking for a simple way to reduce your toilet paper use, consider installing a bidet attachment to your toilet. Although a lot of people think using a bidet might feel weird, once they use one they never want to go back.
TUSHY is a great choice for a bidet because they have a variety of options that are incredibly easy to install. You can find attachments that have numerous features, such as a heated seat, temperature control, and a warm air dryer.
These attachments have a universal fit, so they fit almost any toilet. Plus, they use fresh, clean water to get you shower-clean in just a few seconds.
Best of all, they can help you reduce the environmental impact of toilet paper by significantly reducing your toilet paper usage.
Other Ways to Make Your Bathroom More Eco-Friendly
Once you’ve made the switch to an eco-friendly toilet paper, keep in mind that there are other sustainable alternatives you can use to make your bathroom more eco-friendly.
You can get a bamboo toothbrush to go along with your bamboo toilet paper. Don’t forget to pick up some eco-friendly floss and zero waste toothpaste so you can eliminate more plastic stuff that won’t biodegrade.
You can also make plenty of homemade cleaning products to get your bathroom naturally clean. These homemade toilet cleaning tablets offer a powerful cleaning punch. For times when you simply need to deodorize your toilet, you can use these DIY toilet refreshing tablets.
No time to DIY? That’s not a problem! Check out this guide on the best eco-friendly toilet cleaners to find everything from powders and liquids to tablets and strips.
This DIY tub and shower cleaner only uses two simple ingredients, and you’ll be shocked at how well this two-ingredient grout cleaner works. Plus, this homemade glass cleaner will leave a streak-free shine on your mirrors.
You can even green up your beauty routine by making the switch to a safety razor, reusing coffee grounds to make this homemade coffee scrub that helps reduce the look of cellulite, and making your own homemade shaving gel.
The Best Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper
Our trees are vitally important, and we should do everything we can to protect them. By making the switch to eco-friendly toilet paper, you can feel better knowing you’re doing your part to save the trees.
More Eco-Friendly Living Tips
Now that you see how easy it is to make the switch to eco-friendly toilet paper, are you interested in discovering even more outstanding eco-friendly living tips? Then be sure to check out some of our other popular posts:
- Easy Ways to Reduce Paper Towel Use
- Best Sustainable Clothing Brands
- Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Common Household Products
- Best Zero Waste Products for Beginners
Sandra Maxwell
Wednesday 14th of October 2020
Which one of your Earth Toilet Papers has an imprint of butterflies and flowers on it? I got a bag of it at Costco in April when the shelves were almost completely cleaned out of toilet paper. I really like it and would like to get some of it again. I have never scene it at Costco since. The sales slip has the #516634 and Earth Tissue on it.
Kristen
Wednesday 21st of October 2020
I'm not sure which toilet paper this might be. I know their own brand is called Kirkland, so it might be that one.