Why Does America Use So Much Toilet Paper?
Toilet Paper Use in America
America is known for doing everything big. From portion sizes, sugar content, or gun ownership, just to name a few.
Compared to the rest of the world, another thing that America does big is use toilet paper. According to Statista, America leads the World in toilet paper consumption. On average, an American is expected to go through an average of 141 regular sized toilet paper rolls (or 56 full size rolls) per person per year!
Bidet Usage
Why do Americans use so much toilet paper? One reason may be the lack of popularity of the bidet in America. While common in many other parts of the world (and mandatory in some European countries’ bathrooms), the bidet use hasn’t gained much traction in the United States of America.
Bidets don’t entirely eliminate the need for toilet paper due to the fact that most bidet users still use toilet paper to dry themselves after using their bidet. However, you can see that in countries like Italy, where bidet use is common, that toilet paper use is cut in half. It is still possible to eliminate toilet paper usage entirely, as there are other ways to dry yourself after using a bidet.
The availability of high-tech bidets, some of which have build in air-drying, make for stiff competition against toilet paper. In an article from Tissue World Magazine (yes, that’s real), “high-tech toilets based on water and/or air jetting with several additional functions, including automatic lid opening, music, ozone deodorant systems and urinalysis, seem to have had some negative impact on toilet tissue consumption.”
Toilet Paper Shortage and Bidet Popularity
America’s dependence on toilet paper was put on worldwide display in the Spring of 2020. When COVID-19 entered the US, Americans flocked to the nearest grocery stores and big box retailers to stock up on items they might need. In a panic, grocery shelves were left bare and one of the hottest items on American’s shopping lists was toilet paper.
At the time, many people were under stay at home orders. That meant that all the pooping done at work, was now being done at home. Add in the fact that no one knew for sure if grocery stores would remain open as the virus started to take hold. Videos were shared on social media of people fighting over toilet paper as supply dried up, and memes appeared all over social media making fun of the run on toilet paper.
The great toilet paper shortage of 2020 due to Americans panic buying led to a spike in interest on bidets. You can be sure than bidet manufacturers were loving the prospect of a national toilet paper shortage. In an interview with WIRED magazine, CEO of bidet startup Tushy said: “This could be the tipping point that finally gets Americans to adopt the bidet.”
Toilet Paper Waste and Recreational Use
A common prank in the United States among youth is TP-ing houses, cars, trees, etc. It is hard to tell just how many rolls or toilet paper end up unrolled and spread across people’s properties.
Those with children or cats have probably walked into their bathroom at some point, only to find an entire toilet paper roll unfurled at the base of the toilet. They actually make cat proof toilet paper holders for cat owners. They are designed to keep your can from going to town on your toilet paper roll.
Toilet Paper and the Environment
Eco-friendly Americans are trying to reduce toilet paper usage by jumping on the bidet bandwagon. The average American doesn’t think about where their toilet paper comes from or how it is made. A significant amount of water, trees, and electricity are used to pack the store shelves full of rolls and rolls of toilet paper. One tree produces 200 rolls of toilet paper. An estimated 27,000 trees are consumed daily in the global production of toilet paper.
To help preserve the environment, some toilet paper brands are now made from recycled paper. However, some people are concerned as recycled newspaper is known to contain BPA, which may affect our endocrine system. Another option is sugarcane or bamboo toilet paper, which is made from more highly renewable resources.
Switching to a bidet could have significant environmental impacts if their use became more widespread in America. Not to mention a significant impact on your wallet as well.