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Is Eco Toilet Paper Worth the Extra Cost?

I try to be conscious about the products I buy. I look for items that are recycled and plastic-free. I recycle aggressively. I research the environmental impact of my favorite brands. But as I sat down on the porcelain throne the other day, I realized that I don’t hold my toilet paper to the same high standards.

I’ve never abandoned the septic-safe, economical, white Scott toilet paper I grew up using. What a waste! Think of all those virgin forests that had to be cut down just so I could have a clean bum.

So I delved into the eco-toilet paper market and was surprised to find that it actually isn’t much more expensive. I also realized?that there are a lot of reasons why we should all switch over to greener toilet papers?beyond the general ‘saving trees’ idea.

6 Questions to Ask When Shopping for Eco Toilet Paper

Here are six environmental issues to consider when it comes to buying toilet paper, plus a breakdown of five popular eco toilet paper brands.

1. How many trees were cut down?

To make that plush toilet paper we know and love, companies are clear-cutting forests, contributing to global deforestation. Is it worth chopping down all those trees just so we can clean our butts? Absolutely not.

Rather than buying virgin or partially recycled toilet paper products, look for those made with 100 percent recycled paper or, even better, bamboo fiber. Bamboo is a super sustainable, fast-growing plant that can keep up with our incessant butt-wiping.

2. If the paper is recycled, are BPAs present?

Yes, BPAs have found their way into recycled toilet papers.

During the paper recycling process, most plants use thermal paper which is the source of endocrine-disrupting BPA. As a result,?Research?has shown that the shocking majority (80 to 99 percent) of recycled toilet paper products contain very small amounts of BPA–even uber-clean companies like Seventh Generation, who, in their defense, are?working to make a change.

Do we want BPAs anywhere near our most sensitive areas? No way! But don?t hop back on the Charmin Soft-and-Strong train just yet. Bamboo-fiber plys?may be the more sustainable and health-conscious solution, as bamboo is not water intensive, is easily renewable, and is not tainted with BPAs during the manufacturing process.

3. Are the rolls wrapped in plastic?

Most toilet paper comes wrapped in a thin sheath of practically non-recyclable plastic that will sit in our landfills and oceans for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Don’t let the recycling symbol fool you. This plastic must be recycled separately at special facilities.

It is an utter waste. If you are trying to reduce your plastic consumption–but aren?t into wiping your butt with cloth rags–look for companies who?wrap their rolls in paper (ideally recycled paper). It?s definitely a big step above plastic and can be easily recycled when you’re done.

4. Is there a cardboard core?

Most toilet papers have a cardboard core, even eco-friendly brands. Surprisingly,?Scott?s is one of the few brands I could find that sells a tube-free version of their popular, inexpensive toilet paper.

According to?Scott?s online calculator, I will toss (ahem, recycle) almost 6,000 cardboard tubes in my lifetime–definitely a waste. Yes, this Scott?s product is still not recycled, is bleached, and is dressed up in plastic, but it?s a start for more sustainable mainstream toilet paper.

Otherwise, if your t.p. comes with a cardboard core, make sure to toss it in your recycling bin or reuse those tubes.

5. Is the toilet paper bleached, dyed, or scented?

Most toilet paper is whitened so as to look more appealing to the consumer. To do this, companies use elemental chlorine. There is a worry that chlorine’s dangerous byproducts, like carcinogenic?dioxin, will steadily accumulate in our bodies over time as a result of long-term exposure to bleached items.

While this is more concerning for products like tampons, which?stay in contact with sensitive areas for hours on end, it is something to be aware of if you are deciding between bleached and unbleached toilet papers.

As for dyes and fragrances, it’s best to avoid these as they are usually mystery chemical cocktails. We?have no way of knowing what is inside since companies are not required to disclose fragrance?information to the consumer.

6. How much does it cost?

Believe it or not, not all eco toilet papers are expensive. They might?cost a few cents more per roll, but a few dimes?is worth it when it comes to treating the environment with respect. Plus,?if you buy your paper in bulk, costs go down considerably. Either way, eco toilet paper is absolutely worth the modest extra cost.

Eco Toilet Paper Review

Here are the most eco-friendly t.p.s for your buck, ranked.

1.?Who Gives a Crap, premium line

$1.08 per roll, free shipping for 48 roll pack.

Soft and strong three-ply, made from sustainable bamboo, fun,?whimsical, and plastic-free, this brand is everything toilet paper should be.

You should know that the paper?is gently bleached to make it more appealing for those just entering the eco-realm. But you should also know that?they also donate 50 percent of their profits to help build toilets for those in need. They?ve donated around a million dollars to date and are saving trees and water in the process!

2.?Tushy

$0.92 per roll, but shipping costs (out to Massachusetts) bump that up to $1.30 per roll for a single 36 roll pack.

This is another fun brand with a great sense of toilet humor.?Their?two-ply bamboo rolls are unbleached, plastic-free, dye-free, and BPA-free.

They are a little bit less plush than the Who Gives a Crap premium line, so if you like a slightly less plush, unbleached bamboo toilet paper, this is a winner.

3.?Who Gives a Crap, recycled

$1 per roll, free shipping for 48 roll pack.

While most recycled toilet papers contain BPAs, this one claims it doesn?t, although they can’t offer a 100 percent guarantee. It is also plastic-free, 100 percent recycled, and doing a world of good. Of course, it is carefully bleached, but it is also pretty affordable.

4.?Seventh Generation Unbleached

$0.83 per roll on Thrive Market, assuming free shipping.

Seventh Generation is a great company, but there are a lot of complaints about how rough this toilet paper is. If you like a rough paper and care about your t.p., this one is?unbleached, 100 percent recycled, and comes from a company with very good intentions.

5.?Thrive Market Bamboo Hybrid

$1.70 per DOUBLE roll, assuming free shipping.

Thrive Market has merged recycled paper with bamboo fiber to create a soft, strong, and eco-conscious?toilet product. They also claim their surprisingly white rolls to be completely chlorine-free. They are packaged in plastic film and seem a little costly, depending whether or not the rolls are true double rolls.

Honorable mention: Scott Tube Free

About $0.58 per roll.

It?s widely available and a step in the right direction. If you?ve been a lifelong Scott user, are on a super tight budget, or?aren?t a fan of change, this is an easy-to-find, super cheap, and slightly greener option. Small shifts do matter.

Related on Care2

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Is Eco Toilet Paper Worth the Extra Cost?

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This Is How Crazy and Bizarre the Trump Convention Is

Mother Jones

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This has never happened at a national party convention: At a rally for the party’s presidential nominee, an adviser to that nominee claims that the nominee of the other party broke the law by moving a dead body in order to mount a cover-up. And this has never happened at a national party convention: At a rally for the party’s nominee, a rousing speech in favor of the nominee is given by a man who believes the last president from that party killed thousands of Americans to start a war. That is, until this week’s Republican convention in Cleveland.

On Monday afternoon, several hundred supporters of Donald Trump, many wearing “Hillary for Prison 2016” T-shirts, gathered by the Cuyahoga River to cheer on the reality-television mogul. A parade of tea party speakers hailed Trump and blasted Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama, the US government, and the mainstream media, and the mostly older and white crowd applauded. The group Bikers for Trump provided the security for the stage, as Trumpers celebrated the downfall of the Republican establishment. The event captured the profound bizarreness of the Trump enterprise.

The headline speaker was Roger Stone, the veteran political hit man who has long been an adviser to Trump. He now says he has no official connection to the Trump campaign, but he was a chief organizer of this rally, which was originally planned when Stone and other Trumpsters feared the #NeverTrump movement might find a way to stop Trump at the convention. The always-dapper Stone—this day decked out in a beige double-breasted suit—took to the stage in front of a distinctly non-dapper crowd, and he apologized for being late. He said he had just been in meetings with Trump’s staff. Then Stone, a proud conspiracy theorist (who believes LBJ killed JFK) and author of a book excoriating the Clintons, launched into a tirade against Hillary and Bill.

The Hillary Clinton seen in public, he insisted, is not the real Hillary Clinton. She is, he exclaimed, “a short-tempered, foul-mouthed, bipolar, mentally unbalanced criminal.” (“And a reptile!” a member of the audience shouted.) One problem, Stone noted, is that the public doesn’t know about Vince Foster. He was referring to the senior White House aide who committed suicide during the Clinton presidency. Stone went on to revive the Foster conspiracy theory that was once a mainstay of the Clinton-hating right. Foster’s body was discovered in a Virginia park outside Washington, DC. But, Stone asserted, no mud or dirt was found on Foster’s shoes. However, he added, there were carpet fibers. This means, he claimed, that Foster was rolled up in a carpet and removed from the White House, and, he said, Hillary Clinton had ordered this cover-up. Her goal? To make sure that Foster’s office—which contained papers proving her illegal deeds—did not become a crime scene.

Of course, the official investigations of Foster’s tragic suicide concluded he killed himself at the park. But here was a Trump operative, fresh from huddling with Trump’s lieutenants, promoting an unfounded notion. The crowd lapped it up. (In May, Trump himself said there had been something “very fishy” about Foster’s death.)

Stone continued, maintaining that Bill Clinton had raped several women and Hillary had protected him. He asserted that the Clintons had taken money from the Chinese, the Russians, and the Saudis “for treason.” He exclaimed, “We demand the prosecution of Bill and Hillary Clinton for their crimes.” He even assailed Chelsea Clinton for being “nasty, greedy, foul-mouthed, corrupt.”

It was quite the performance, and Stone was received like a celebrity. This was no surprise, since many in the crowd were fans of Alex Jones, the nation’s No. 1 conspiracy theorist and a Trump fan. Jones was there, too.

Before Stone spoke, Jones, a sponsor of the rally and perhaps the most prominent 9/11 truther, jumped on the stage. His followers in the crowd went wild and rushed down the hill toward the stage. Throughout the event, they shouted statements demonstrating they were devotees of Infowars.com, Jones’ conspiracy-mongering website. “Go ahead and do a false flag, Obama, we’ve been waiting for you,” one attendee yelled at the sky. Jones fanned those flames, claiming Hillary Clinton is a “foreign agent of the communist Chinese, the Saudi Arabians, and others; no news carried that because it was absolute truth and would destroy her.”

Jones is a peddler of a variety of tin-foil-hat conspiracy theories. He has suggested that 9/11 was an inside job pulled off by the Bush administration, that the Sandy Hook massacre was orchestrated by the US government, and that Obama has plotted to round up dissenters in FEMA camps. Yet Trump hasn’t shied away from associating with Jones, appearing for an interview on Jones’ radio show last December. At this rally, Jones gave a full-throated endorsement of Trump. “Once the general public understands the paradigm, it’s game over!” he shouted to cheers. “Worldwide, globalism and the New World Order are in trouble.”

“The establishment, George Soros, and others have done everything they can to shut down our free speech,” Jones bellowed.

Jones was interrupted midway through his speech by comedian Eric André, apparently filming a bit for his Cartoon Network show. André had been asking questions of attendees near the stage, and Jones invited him up. Jones accused André of being from The Daily Show (perhaps confusing him for another African American comedian). “Oh no,” Jones said sarcastically, “the Democrats are never violent, like at the Black Lives Matter events.”

André went into a weird comedy route, handing Jones a key to his hotel room and asking him to have sex with his wife. He goaded Jones: “Who put the bombs in Tower 7?” Jones replied, “Well, I’ve exposed that.” Yes, an event promoting Trump for president briefly turned into a showcase for 9/11 trutherism.

Once he got André offstage, Jones warned the crowd about the master plans of the shadowy forces of globalization, noting these evildoers will try to swipe the election from Trump. “But even if they’re able to steal the election,” he said, “it doesn’t matter, because the public is waking up to their tricks, and at the state and local level people are understanding that globalism is making us poor, globalism is about controlling us, globalism is about us not being able to have our own destiny, and all over the United States and all over the world, people are saying, why can’t I have guns to protect myself?” In Jones’ view, either Trump will be elected or the New World Order globalists will succeed with their dark plots. With many members of the crowd echoing his words, Jones shouted one of his catchphrases: “The answer to 1984 is 1776!”

Jones and Stone are not outliers in Trump’s world. Stone has been tight with the mogul for decades, and he indicated he’s advising him this week. Trump, when he appeared on Jones’ radio show, praised him, saying, “Your reputation is amazing.” The fact that Jones and Stone were the heart and soul of the main pro-Trump rally of the week shows how far Trump has pulled the GOP and the Cleveland convention into the fever swamps of the right.

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This Is How Crazy and Bizarre the Trump Convention Is

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