Toilet paper is almost sacred: two-ply, three-ply, extra soft, or the one that feels like sandpaper. There’s one in almost every bathroom in the world, something so normalized that no one questioned it until recently. But the myth is falling apart because water is taking over. Cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable.
Before, seeing a jet of water coming out of a toilet straight to your most delicate areas was something exotic, something we only saw in Japan, but now it’s a global trend. From Tokyo to Massachusetts, more and more homes are leaving toilet paper behind and joining the “water jet” trend.
And the question is no longer whether we can live without toilet paper, but… why are we still using it in the 21st century?
Why paper no longer convinces
Toilet paper seems harmless, but behind it is a rather dirty industry (not because of what it wipes, but because of how it’s made, don’t get it wrong!).
To produce a single roll, liters and liters of water, energy, and of course, trees are needed. Many trees. In addition, the bleaching process uses chemicals that end up polluting rivers and soil. Kind of ironic, isn’t it? A product made to clean… that dirties the planet so much.
Every year, millions of trees are cut down and tons of CO₂ are released just to keep the habit of “wiping” instead of “rinsing”. In contrast, alternatives that use water clean better and cost much less in the long run.
The hygienic shower
If there’s one star in this shift, it’s the hygienic shower (or handheld bidet, as some call it). It’s installed next to the toilet, costs little, and provides a jet of water that completely replaces paper.
You won’t have to wipe over and over, get your hands dirty, or be left with the feeling that it’s not fully clean.
The bidet: the comeback of the forgotten one
For years, the bidet was seen as strange, but is there anything more comfortable in this world for those cold days when you don’t feel like taking a shower?
Many people chose to remove it because it took up too much space, but now the new designs are more compact, more elegant, and fit perfectly into modern bathrooms. It’s no longer an annoying fixture, it’s conscious hygiene. Funny how some things come back into fashion, right? Well, now it’s an eco-friendly trend!
The Japanese revolution that conquered the bathroom
Japan is years ahead in this matter. There, toilets with adjustable jets, temperature control, automatic drying, and almost no paper have been the norm for a long time.
And following Japan’s lead, many hotels are now starting to include this system, so it seems that the future of bathrooms is arriving this way.
Other eco-friendly versions
This one is for the brave, we won’t lie. It’s not for everyone. Many people are starting to use reusable cloth wipes to reduce their carbon footprint. Of course, it’s complicated because of odors and it requires very strict cleaning, but hey, for those who want to try it!
Just as menstrual underwear or silicone cups have become popular among women during their periods, why not reusable cloth toilet paper?
A fashion change or an environmental need?
We need to change our mindset in the face of these environmental crises. Water is scarce, forests are shrinking, and CO2 keeps increasing, so we have to rethink things, even if we love that extra soft double-ply paper. Even going to the toilet can be sustainable if we think about it!
And no, leave the taboos aside. Technology is arriving everywhere, and if this time it comes with environmental awareness, we love it!