Bidets Can Save 15 Million Trees Annually – so Why Don’t We Use Them?
Europeans use them; 60 percent of Japan uses them; They are used by 90 percent of Venezuelans. They are called bidets: sinks that direct water directly to parts that need to be emptied after using the toilet. And, according to Scientific American , they can play an important role in green and sustainable living. But for some reason, the North Americans are not on board.
Are they good for the environment?
Americans use 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper a year, which might make you wonder how many trees are sacrificed to keep our derrieres only somewhat clean. By some estimates, switching from toilet paper to bidet to bathroom could potentially save 15 million trees.
Justin Thomas, editor of metaefficient.com, told Scientific American that he sees bidets as “a key green technology.” And this is more than just saving trees from a cruel fate, when they serve as tissues for genitals and faeces. It takes 473,587,500,000 gallons of water, 253,000 tons of chlorine and 17.3 terawatts of electricity each year to produce the 36.5 million rolls of toilet paper Americans need, Thomas said. This is without considering the amount of resources and energy required to package and transport them.
Will they use more water?
Simply put, yes. But bidet proponents argue that the excess water is negligible given how much water is already being wasted per toilet flush. (Depending on which toilet you have, each flush requires 1.5 to 5 gallons of water, which is a reported 24 gallons of water a day. In 2012, that was more than $ 5 billion in drinking water a year. ) The bidet will consume more water – flush water and cleaning water – but in the end it will be worth it as we save all the toilet paper.
Are they hygienic?
One of the reasons for the aversion to bidets is people’s concern about how hygienic they are. But healthcare professionals generally agree that bidets are hygienic, more gentle on your body than toilet paper, and require more thorough cleaning. It should be noted, though, that Dr. John Schwarzberg of the Berkeley School of Public Health told The Sweethome that there is no peer-reviewed literature directly proving that they are healthier than toilet paper.
So if a bidet is just as beneficial to health and hygiene as toilet paper, then the environmental benefits could be argued to be worth it for those who can afford to make the switch. And you don’t have to give up a traditional toilet instead of a bidet: the market is filled with standalone products that can turn your home toilet into a makeshift bidet for a fraction of the price.