Who the hell came up with the idea of toilet paper?
REALLY!?
Lets wipe our asses with dry tree paper. That will clean us up!
Spraying ourselves down with some Disinfectant spray would do the job better, At least that nasty poo bacteria won't be there Right?
Is toilet paper a necessity? Or Is it a luxury.

Most Americans, Even the poorest, Tend to look at the toilet paper as a necessity.
How else do we clean our bottoms?

Where did Toliet paper come from?

It came out in 1857. Because cleanliness was a serious issue. Ever since we have used it without question. Damaging the environment.

Toliet Paper Is terrible for the environment

It's freaking paper!
I look around, And everything we own, Is plastic. And we use paper products constantly. Everything is thrown away! It's ridiculous how much we waste.
The wood that is being used to make our toilet paper is virgin wood. And it comes straight from the forest. Each tree supplies only 1,000 roles of toilet paper! We are using less recycled paper to make our toilet paper because many companies have gone paperless. While this reduces the amount of paper out there which helps the environment. The amount of fresh wood we use to wipe our asses is increasing.
This is the same with all the napkins, And Paper towels we are using! Usually, we use these items only for a moment, Then we discard them and never think of them again!

White toilet paper

The whiter the paper, The more fresh wood it contains. Either that, or it's been bleached. Would you wipe yourself with bleach? No?

You Shouldn't Use Recycled Toliet paper Either

So your option may be to grab some recycled paper right?
Did you know that it's often recycled from old sales receipts, And newspaper?
The problem with that is, It often contains BPA as a result. Yeah, Lets wipe the most sensitive part of our body with BPA. That's good for ya!
For those of you who don't know what BPA is, It's an endocrine disrupter. You can read more about BPA in my Plastic blog post here

How To Clean Your Butt Without Toliet Paper

This is a sensitive subject for many. Obviously, some of these methods may not be for you. But it doesn't hurt to try!

• Bamboo Toliet Paper, Or Bagasse.
• The Family Cloth Method.
• The Hand method
• Bidet
  

Bamboo Toliet Paper, Or Bagasse.

Not ready to give up your precious toilet paper yet? Try bamboo or bagasse paper instead! While it's not as soft, Its much better for the environment.
Bagasse Paper is often hard to find. It's made from sugar plants.
But bamboo toilet paper is more common, Why bamboo?

• Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. Which means we won't have to cut down old trees that took forever to grow.
• Bamboo is naturally Antibacterial, Meaning it doesn't require pesticides or fertilizers when it grows. So if your trying to go "chemical" free. This could be a good option.
• Bamboo fibers can be made into a variety of fiber like clothing, Toliet paper, and tissues.

The Family Cloth

I don't know if it's called this, But this is where I was first introduced to the fact you can survive in life without toilet paper.
So basically you buy cloth. Like dishrags. You go to the bathroom; Then you wipe pee or poop on the cloth. Many families have a little garbage can nearby with a lid. You put your nasty cloth into it. It is later poured into the washer, On high heat. And washed and dried like normal. Some families to prevent stink from the garbage can, Will put water and bleach into the bucket. So immediately the cloth starts to soak. When you add the bleach to the equation. I'm not sure how much your doing the environment a favor.
But you'll save money on avoiding toliet paper.

What about your washer?

This is a big question I had with this one. While wiping when I pee with cloth seemed like no big deal. The thought of using the same washer to wash my clothes, That I would also use to clean clothes covered in feces, Really disgusted me. Many families claim they have no issues, and if you keep your clothes and clothes separate, You'll be fine. And that the hot water in the washer, Combined with bleach cleans everything, So it's not filthy.
This is something you'd need to decide if you want to do.

The Hand method.

Again, Not sure if it's called that. But in some countries, They wipe... Using their hand. They then wash their hand when they are done... This is something I won't even consider personally.
But you'll avoid the cost of rags, Toliet paper and a bidet.

A Bidet

This is my favorite ones. Because it seems so smart! You don't just wipe away the grossness. You "wash" it away.
While they are common in other countries they are unheard of in the U.S.
Here is a cool article I found on how to use a Bidet
There are now companies that offer a bidet like an installment to regular American toilets. You can get one of these to wash yourself off!
Companies like Tushy Offer an easy to install the bidet. For only 70.00

Want to save money?

If you aren't ready to spend a lot of money on something like that. You also can get a Perineal Irrigation Bottle This will allow yourself to easily spray you down, Then you can dry off with a bit of toilet paper, Or use cloth.
This is the method I've been using for about a month now, And I love it! I've cut my toilet paper consumption by half. And hope to eliminate my use soon. Not only do I save money in the long run, But I'm doing the environment a favor too.

Conclusion

Toliet paper is bad for the environment! While it may not affect you right now, It will affect everyone in the coming years. We shouldn't be cutting down trees that took forever to grow so that we can wipe our asses.
Other countries don't use as much toilet paper as Americans do. Plus it doesn't seem as sanitary to just wipe feces with dry paper!
If want to do the environment a favor, You can help by switching to bamboo toilet paper, Or buying a bidet installment to your current toliet!