recycled toilet paper

Keeping the Toilet Bowl Clean

sharongaiettophotographyLeave a comment

Day 323 – Happy World Toilet Day! I thought it was the perfect day to talk about keeping your toilet bowl clean in an environmentally friendly way. On Day 21, I wrote about Blueland and their line of cleaning products. The people friendly ingredients are packaged in compostable bags. When the tablets are added to water in reusable bottles, various cleaning products are produced.

I was very excited when I heard Blueland added toilet bowl tablets to their product line. One tablet and a toilet brush and you have yourself a clean bowl. The Toilet Cleaner Set comes with a tin and 14 tablets. Refill tablets come in a compostable bag, so absolutely no waste.

Another great way to celebrate World Toilet Day is to help build toilets in countries where they are not available. Who Gives a Crap donates 50% of their profits to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet within our lifetime. They offer toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper or bamboo. It is packaged in brightly colored paper, so there is no plastic to discard. We have been using Who Gives a Crap since January and LOVE this company so much!

The next time you are in the bathroom think about the 3.6 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation. Poor sanitation contaminates drinking-water sources, rivers, beaches and food crops, spreading deadly diseases among the wider population. It’s a convenience we usually take for granted.

Tomorrow, eco-friendly blankets.

Update: Who Gives a Crap

sharongaiettophotographyLeave a comment

Day 63 – While I was busy talking about shoe donation and recycling yesterday, the world celebrated World Wildlife Day. Personally, I think World Wildlife Day should be everyday. As should Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, Nurses Day, Teachers Day and many more important celebrations, but, I digress. This year’s theme is Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet. I thought it would be a perfect time to check-in on our new toilet paper choice and share how the family is enjoying the new brand.

Borrowed from the WGAC website.

It’s been a month now using Who Gives a Crap toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper. We are not missing our old brand. Even though the Kirkland brand was softer, it hasn’t been that big of an adjustment. Even my nose that gets blown on a daily basis due to some pretty severe allergies, has adjusted just fine. There have been zero complaints from the family and it feels good to support a company doing good in the world. Our paper wrappers go into the paper recycling and the box and toilet paper tube go into the cardboard recycling. Not one bit of plastic to deal with. It’s refreshing!

So, if you haven’t already made the switch, I encourage you to consider it. Your butt will be happy and so will your heart.

You should also check out Who Gives a Crap’s blog. They have great content. It’s awesome when they share updates about the impact they are having in communities where toilets are being built. You get to see how you are helping others. Just recently they shared an update.

“Last year we donated $10,000 to one of our partner organizations, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) to build brand new toilets that will provide proper sanitation to thousands of people in Mathare, one of Nairobi’s oldest informal settlements. We just got some updates on how the project is going, so we wanted to share with you! After all, none of this would be possible without your support.” You can read more about the project, HERE!

Lastly, I noticed on the empty toilet paper rolls a website address, www.wgac.me. Here you can read interesting toilet history, toilet trivia or toilet facts. Pretty much everything and anything you ever wanted to know, or didn’t ever care to know about toilets can be found on this site. Enjoy!

Tomorrow, charitable search engines and the causes they support.

Help Save the Polar Bears by Fighting Climate Change

sharongaiettophotographyLeave a comment

Day 58 – Today is International Polar Bear Day! Those absolutely majestic arctic creatures that are endangered of extinction because of global warming.

“Every winter, Arctic sea ice grows around the pole, its frozen tendrils threading along northern coasts. Right now sea ice has just passed its peak coverage for the year, and will begin to shrink with the coming of spring. It’s a crucial time for polar bears, whose food supply is inextricably linked to sea ice. And in recent decades, sea ice has been shrinking faster than ever. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, 2019 has the seventh-lowest sea ice cover in the Arctic since they began collecting satellite data 40 years ago.” – National Geographic

Global warming is that gargantuan problem that seems impossible to tackle, absolutely absurd to comprehend and inconceivable to think that any of us could actually help the situation. But what if I told you, you could make a difference in your everyday life? And that the choices you make on a daily basis could help the polar bears?

Some of these suggestions have been mentioned in past posts. They are practical, easy and do not require much effort. If they are followed on a regular basis, they could have a huge impact on decreasing global warming.

  1. Waste less food. Composting and/or making sure you eat your leftovers, can make a huge impact on the amount of food you throw away.
  2. Eat less factory-farmed red meat. As mentioned on Day 15, reducing the amount of red meat in your diet can reduce greenhouse gases.
  3. Consume less energy and water. On Day 10, I shared a list of ways to reduce your energy and water use.
  4. Shop local. Not only are you putting dollars into your community, but you are reducing carbon emissions. By shopping local goods do not need to be shipped to you.
  5. Support non-profits fighting global warming. Your donation dollars can help initiatives and movements to help improve our planet.
  6. Recycle and purchase recycled material. On Day 26, I write about purchasing recycled toilet paper. There are countless options when looking for products made from recycled material.
  7. Find alternatives to single use plastic. Whether if it’s reusable produce bags or reusable storage bags, finding alternatives to single use plastics is become easier every day.
  8. Try to use your car less. Walking and biking are great options, along with public transportation.
  9. Consume less and waste less. Sometimes you just have to say no and realize that there are things you just don’t need.
  10. Open a dialogue and find common ground on the subject. The more we talk about global warming, the more people will understand and want to help.

Click HERE to read about 101 ways to fight climate change.

So, skip the cheeseburger, ride a bike, purchase recycled toilet paper, or shop at a local farmers market. All these decisions can reduce greenhouse gases and give those polar bears a fighting chance.

Tomorrow, our love-hate relationship with clothes.

Toilet Paper: You should give a crap

sharongaiettophotography4 Comments

Day 26 – I don’t think I have ever been this excited about toilet paper. In all honesty, I have never been exciting about toilet paper. However, that has all changed with my purchase of Who Gives a Crap. This Australian company has found a way to make toilet paper environmentally friendly, charitable and fun!

Before purchasing Who Gives a Crap, we would alternate between Charmin and Costco’s Kirkland brand. Little did I know that these brands, along with other big name brands, are not very good for the environment. In 2019, a study was done by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Stand.earth to determine which toilet paper companies had the best sustainability practices. My two brands received “F” scores. This score was given because these companies (along with Angel Soft, Quilted Northern and Target’s brand Up & Up) do not use any recycled content in their toilet paper. Instead, these brands get their paper by clear-cutting the Canadian boreal forest. With the amount of carbon dioxide being released in our atmosphere, we need to keep every tree we can.

I decided to look for a better alternative. The reviews were not great on recycled toilet paper products. That is, until I came upon, Who Gives a Crap. Here are all the reasons why this company is awesome!

  1. It is a plastic free product. No plastic bags or wraps, just paper.
  2. The toilet paper comes from recycled school and office paper.
  3. The toilet paper does not use any inks, dyes or scents.
  4. 50% of profits help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
  5. The toilet paper is surprisingly soft and sturdy (its 3 ply).
  6. The cost is comparable to the name brands.
  7. The company is a certified B-Corporation, so you know they’re legit.
  8. The colorful wrappers will brighten up your bathroom.
  9. They’re just a fun company. Their name alone is a good indicator of that fact.

So, it is fitting that today, Australia Day, we celebrate an Australian company that is saving trees, saving lives and giving us something to be excited about, even if it is just toilet paper.

* Here’s $10 off from Who Gives a Crap!

Tomorrow, celebrating the 133rd birthday of a beloved magazine.