health HYGIENE (YES, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT POOPING) 42 CHATELAINE ¥ MARCH/APRIL 2020 health HYGIENE If you’re bummed (sorry!) about the environmental impacts of tissue paper, consider the water-conscious, sensitive skin–friendly bidet. It turns out the time-tested practice of washing over solely wiping doesn’t just feel good—it can do good, too Written by ISHANI NATH Illustrations by STEPHANIE HAN KIM anuta Valleau can’t remem- snow, moss, corncobs and water. The ber the last time she bought Farmer’s Almanac was so frequently hung toilet paper. The rolls that are from a nail in bathrooms and outhouses, stocked in her southwestern A single roll of functioning as both reading material and Ontario home, located in the toilet paper takes waste removal, that in 1919 the publisher Georgian Bluff s, are primarily for the com- up to 37 gallons started pre-drilling a hole in the corner. fort of her guests—and she’s often amazed Toilet paper originated in China and was by how much is used when people visit. A of water to introduced in the U.S. in 1857, but it didn’t family of four who recently stayed over for produce—and take off initially because of the stigma two days fl ushed away nearly six rolls, she most toilet paper around discussing bathroom habits. It recalls. But for the 67-year-old, the num- wasn’t until the 20th century, when com- ber-one choice after number two isn’t wads is made from panies began marketing TP around the of toilet paper, it’s water—a switch she and clear-cut idea of femininity, hygiene and absor- her husband, Michael McLuhan, made after boreal forest. bency, that the customers started . .rolling learning how crappy (sorry) toilet paper is in. (Sorry again.) for the environment. The tissue market is now the fast- Making lifestyle changes to be more est-growing sector of the paper industry green is nothing new for this retired cou- “It’s actually much cleaner than using and shows no signs of slowing down. ple. Valleau always carries a reusable bottle toilet paper,” Valleau says of her experience But in order to produce these products, and coff ee mug, avoids purchasing produce using the $41 cold-water bidet attachment which the NRDC explains are primarily wrapped in plastic or other products with they purchased on Amazon and installed made from “virgin” rather than recycled too much packaging and describes her themselves last year. And it turns out that pulp, companies are wiping out our eco- husband as a “recycling genie” who metic- washing rather than solely wiping—a com- systems, threatening Indigenous people’s ulously separates discarded items to mon practice among Muslims and in many traditional territories and aff ecting wild- minimize waste. After reading an article parts of Asia, the Middle East, Europe and life like the boreal caribou, whose popula- about a man who went TP-free, it was South America—doesn’t just feel good, it tion has declined at an estimated rate of McLuhan’s idea to give up the roll—and can do good. 30 percent every 18 years. The NRDC Valleau was game. Canada’s boreal forest, which covers report highlights that, in addition to Bidets have come a long way since deco- almost 60 percent of our country, is the most using toilet paper made from recycled rated wash basins were introduced in 1600s carbon-dense forest ecosystem on earth, materials, bidets “could considerably slow France. While stand-alone bidets, meant to each year removing 24 million cars’ worth forest degradation.” be straddled and used to bathe the genitals, of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When Valleau tried to switch to recycled perineum and anus, are still used, today the According to a 2019 report from the U.S.- toilet paper two years ago, she was frus- term also applies to a water spout that is based Natural Resources Defense Council trated to discover that the “made from built in, or attached, to the toilet and is de- (NRDC), by using toilet paper we are literally recycled material” label sometimes only re- signed to shoot water—either cold, as is the fl ushing those resources down the toilet. ferred to the outer packaging, not the tissue case with less-expensive options, or warm— Throughout history, we have wiped us- itself. Water, sanitation and hygiene expert at the user’s undercarriage. ing everything from hands to leaves, grass, Sayed M. Nazim Uddin says not knowing MARCH/APRIL 2020 • CHATELAINE 43 Ceramics Pessoi, meaning pebbles, were smoothed-out pieces of broken ceramics that were A brief used by the Greeks and Romans to wipe in 5th history of and 6th century BC. butt wiping Water Sticks The Prophet Muhammad In the 8th century AD, the Japanese From plants to (c. 570–632), the founder of Islam, Rocks came used fl at sticks (chuugi) for internal paper to rocks instructs all Muslims to wash their way, way and external wiping. The Greco- private parts with water after Romans used a sponge-tipped stick (ouch!) before rolls. going to the bathroom. that soaked in brine between uses. what goes into our toilet tissue is part of the distributors of a large Korean lifestyle I didn’t understand the point of it because the problem—particularly since compa- brand, which among its many products in- I was like, ‘You have toilet paper.’ ” nies use bleachbleach to whiten, strengthenstrengthen andand cluded a heated toilet seat that played a It wasn’t until she gave birth that she soften these products. “Normally when you chime, sprayed warm water from an gave the bidet a second look. Women who buy food, the ingredients are written [on[on attachment with adjustable pressure and deliver vaginally are sent home with a the packaging], but these chemicals aren’t fi nished by blowing warm air—no tissue small squeeze bottle—or, as Rodrigues de- written on the toilet paper,” he says. required. As a kid growing up in Richmond scribes it, a “very low-tech bidet”—which The process of bleaching toilet tissue re- Hill, Ont., Rodrigues enjoyed the heated helps to wash urine away from any tears in leases toxins into the air and water, which seat, but avoided the bidet function. the skin and keep the area clean, rather the NRDC reports has been shown to harm “Like most North American kids grow- than wiping the wound with dry toilet pa- fi sh, animals and people. There are re- ing up, I thought that was weird,” says per. Rodrigues found the bottle diffi cult to ported cases of skin irritation caused by Rodrigues. “It freaked me out that you manoeuvre and realized that it was fi nally these chemicals—and they don’t disappear would shoot water at your nether regions. time to make use of the bidet. once they are fl ushed down the toilet. Having a bidet attachment already in- Uddin says when chemicals that are used stalled (ever the enthusiasts, her parents to make paper feel softer than a luxe had given her one) , she adjusted it to the sweater are released into the water, it pol- lowest pressure setting and gently wiped lutes the entire ecosystem. away excess water with TP before using the “Toilet paper has high impact if you con- blow-dryer setting to fi nish. As Uddin sider all other residual issues or eff ects ,” explains, water is known as a universal sol- says Uddin, a visiting research associate at vent; it’s eff ective, whereas there may still the University of Victoria who is based in be residue after using tissue. Just think Bangladesh, where a small water bucket THE GREENEST WAY about the diff erence between washing called a bonda (known in other areas as a TO WIPE chocolate ice cream off your hands with lota) is typically found next to the toilet. If you’re committed to wiping, water compared to wiping it with a paper And even though it may seem like a bonda there are some greener towel. Rodrigues had heard that the hands- or bidet would increase water usage, he toilet paper options out there. free bidet was more hygienic than toilet pa- says it will never have the same environ- While recycled toilet paper may per; it turns out, there is some truth to that. be scratchier than the virgin-fi bre mental impact as using toilet paper—par- “If you’re never touching your skin, you stuff , making the plush version ticularly since, in the U.S., producing toilet directly from tree pulp produces have a lower likelihood of getting those paper requires an estimated 473 billion three times as much carbon. germs and spreading them to other peo- gallons of water per year. Uddin personally Sustainable choices, like PC Green ple,” says Dr. Amanda Selk, an ob-gyn at Soft & Thick Green Forest uses water, and he believes that Canadians and Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. Bathroom Tissue, have a high at large should rethink their water closet percentage of recycled content. Dr. Jen Gunter, author of The Vagina customs for both health and environmen- As soft and strong as regula r Bible and host of CBC’s Jensplaining, is tal reasons. “Using water is quite a bit bet- TP, bamboo toilet paper is suitable also “pro bidet,” calling it an eff ective ter for the environment and human health for the most delicate bums. method of cleaning without causing irri- The plant also grows fast, which than toilet paper.” tation.