Reusable toilet paper trend may be one eco step too far

There’s family togetherness, and then there’s sharing toilet paper.

It may sound a tad too far in the caring-and-sharing stakes for most of us, but some eco-warriors are embracing a trend for reusable toilet paper in the hope of cutting down wastage in the bathroom. 

The brightly patterned, fabric new-age loo rolls come in a roll with easily detachable squares — except once you’re finished your business, they go in a special basket instead of down the toilet. Then you chuck the soiled material in the wash and reattach them to form the original roll again.

The rolls are available from a number of online vendors in a variety of patterns and materials, and there are even sewing patterns available if you want to burnish your environmental credentials even more by making your own from recycled fabrics. The rolls are marketed as a more eco-friendly alternative normal toilet paper and no one has said so far that the claim is incorrect – perhaps because they don’t dare test it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Beyi6q7ADl6/

From the comments on a few vendors websites, there is definitely market of people who think the eco-friendly rolls are a brilliant idea, with many saying they were “overjoyed” to use their rolls. However, not everyone is convinced, as some tweets attested.

“Uhhh so, I just learned about this trend. Using “family cloth” instead of toilet paper?? REUSABLE toilet paper?? #whywouldyoudothat,” one tweeter wrote.

@SebastianComedy uhhh so, I just learned about this trend. Using "family cloth" instead of toilet paper?? REUSABLE toilet paper?? #whywouldyoudothat pic.twitter.com/PBvmLocDHP

— Jordan Bender (@jordanbender89) March 11, 2018

Another was even less keen. 

https://twitter.com/evepeyser/status/971914427548291072

One question how a a ‘family cloth’ fan would use the new-fangled paper when not at home: “What happens when you go out? Do you take the ‘family cloth’ with you? Then where would you put it until you got home?…Think I’ll pass…#FamilyCloth.” 

What happens when you go out? Do you take the ‘family cloth’ with you? 🤢😷 Then where would you put it until you got home?…🤢 Think I’ll pass…🤣🤣🤣 #FamilyCloth 🤢 https://t.co/oUZoxwg1qI

— Teena Massam  💙🌷🌼 (@teenamassam) March 12, 2018

Many on the same wavelength also wondered what would happen when they had guests over who were not partial to using the reusable toilet paper. But one tweeter did point out that using the reusable cloths was more cost-effective: “They may be #disgusting but they save 200 dollars a year on toilet paper! #reusabletoiletpaper”

@Brotriotic125 they may be #disgusting but they save 200 dollars a year on toilet paper! #reusabletoiletpaper

— Jess Johnson (@JU1CY_J) January 12, 2014

Do you think reusable toilet paper is a great idea or does the very thought of it make your stomach churn?