Mom Goes Green

No one likes to retract a recommendation or end up eating their words, but I knew this would be part of my “green journey”… and it seems another retraction has to be made.  (Ugh!)

Last time it was Sigg bottles when it was discovered that their epoxy liner actually contained BPA prior to August 2008.  This time the culprit is recycled toilet paper.  (I know my husband is going to LOVE this one, because he revolted over my switch to a not-so-cushy recycled brand!)

I happened to stumble upon Jennifer’s post at Eco Child’s Play (who happened to stumble upon an original post at Z Recommends!) about the ugly fact that recycled toilet paper appears to contain BPA.  While BPA is not added to the toilet paper it is often present due to the recycling of thermal printing paper (a common component OF the recycled toilet paper).

It seems this is the reason BPA is often turning up in wastewater and tap water.  While I’m always an advocate of keeping our water sources safe, I can’t help but wonder what happens when we continually “use” this recycled toilet paper on our… well, “nether regions”.  There has to be a degree of absorption into our bodies that, quite frankly, makes me a little uncomfortable.

So now, I’m back to the drawing board.  What options are there?  Aside from installing a bidet (… by the way, I have a fabulous bidet story if you ever meet me!) or other ideas I’ve read (that include using fabric swatches that you place in a sealed container and then wash {note:  not likely to ever happen in THIS household!}) I simply don’t know.

As much as I love to save trees, I think we’re going back to traditional toilet paper until I can find another viable option.  In this house BPA is a major no-no.

(By the way, that visible shaking you just saw through your monitor was my husband jumping for joy!)

Well, NOW I’ve done it! I made a change that made my husband call a foul!

I switched our cushy Cottonelle Ultra toilet paper to an eco-friendly recycled brand and he is not happy.  So much that it prompted him to blog about it and tell the world that he’s putting his foot down for the first time!

I think in the back of my brain I thought I could make the switcheroo and he might not notice, but in reality, I knew this might be his limit.  And alas, it is.

I picked up some Seventh Generation toilet paper, and sure, it’s definitely nowhere near as thick and soft as the popular brands, but hey… I felt like saving some trees! I recently learned that if every US household would replace just one 500-sheet roll of regular TP with one recycled roll, it would save nearly 425,000 trees annually.  Seventh Generation is made from 100% recycled paper (with a minimum of 80% post-consumer) but I guess some would argue that paper “with a previous life” should never go near these “regions”.

If you have a better recommendation, PLEASE, let me know.  I can feel like I am staying true to my green mission, and maybe my husband will go along… with no ifs, ands or “butts” about it!