Everyone is trying to make more environmentally conscious decisions these days; however, very few people consider how much paper waste they are literally flushing down the toilet every single day.
Everyone is trying to make more environmentally conscious decisions these days; however, very few people consider how much paper waste they are literally flushing down the toilet every single day. It’s easy to let toilet paper use get out of control, and whether you are trying to save money or save the environment, you will definitely want to implement a few tips that can help you and the whole household reduce how much is used.
“Because the history of toilet paper is rarely thought about, it is easy to see how a person can become wasteful with it and take it for granted.” (Imani) Consider the tips below. They can help you reduce the toilet paper use in your own household.
High Quality Toilet Paper
You should begin by making sure you are choosing high-quality toilet paper. It should be at least two-ply and preferably close to four-ply. That’s because it will last longer and will be much more absorbent. While it may seem cheaper to buy the low-quality rolls, they just won’t last as long and you will spend much more money replenishing than you actually realize.
Always Fold
Make sure everyone in your household understands they should always fold the toilet tissue when they use it. Many people tend to wad it up, but this provides less surface area and requires more paper. By folding, you are given more surface area for actual use and you will be able to get by without using so much.
Don’t Leave Out Extra Rolls
Many people leave several rolls of toilet paper in their bathroom as backups, however, this is not as good of an idea as it seems. This could be encouraging you and other members of the household to be more wasteful since so much toilet paper is readily available. Instead, keep the extra rolls stored away in a closet and do not leave them out within sight in the bathroom. If you feel you must leave a backup, limit to only one roll.
Create a Replenishment Schedule
Depending on the number of people in your household, decide how often you will be replacing the toilet paper in the bathroom. Ideally, you should be able to limit it to twice a week. Let everyone in your household know that the paper will only be replaced on certain days. This will force them to use the toilet paper more sparingly.
You can even take this concept to a higher level by charging per sheet for any extra toilet paper used. This method could work if you take money out of a child’s allowance or require any adult to put money in a toilet paper fund bank.
Consider a Control Mechanism
If worse comes to worst, you can also purchase devices that actually control how much toilet paper you can get in one grab. The machine will have a break of sorts that keeps the user from unrolling more than needed. Of course, if you absolutely need more paper, you will be able to get it. However, this simple mechanism can go a long way toward helping to control toilet paper use.
Learn Discipline
Finally, you need to learn how to be disciplined and teach the other members of the household to be disciplined as well. Usually, three or four squares of paper, if you have purchased high quality types, will suffice. There is no need for more than that. You may have to explain this to smaller children.
Limiting toilet paper use will help to control your costs and will also be a good thing for the environment. Since there are several different actions you can take, one of them will surely work well in your bathroom.
Works Cited
Imani, F. (n.d.). How to Control Toilet Paper Usage. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how_6107332_control-toilet-tissue-usage.html
