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Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

theguardian.com

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Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#31

Post by stuff4ben »

ericmay wrote: post #12

Buy a bidet! I thought this was a fun tidbit: "The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually." I'm not sure if using a bidet would be better for the environment but maybe this is a blessi…

Unfortunately I don't have electrical in my toilet closet in my master bath. I'd totally do it though.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#32

Post by everdrive »

ericmay wrote: post #12

Buy a bidet! I thought this was a fun tidbit: "The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually." I'm not sure if using a bidet would be better for the environment but maybe this is a blessi…

I'm not sure how to discuss bidet problems without sounding gross.

I tried a bidet previously because people rave about them. But when trying them, there seems to be two problems. The water that hits you sprays around on impact. So that immediately-sullied water now has a bit of blast radius to it. I also can't see down there, so having done what certainly felt like a pretty thorough job bidet-ing, I would wipe and discover the job was not so thorough. So although you could potentially use a bidet to reduce your toilet paper usage, toilet paper itself allows you to actually check whether or not you got everything, which just seems impossible with a bidet alone. And if I only used the bidet, then what am I supposed to do to dry myself? It feels like TP needs to be in the mix at least a little bit.

Am I just using it wrong? Does a lifetime of using it give your brain a clearer sense of where the water has hit and what "clean" feels like.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#33

Post by ericmay »

kotaKat wrote: post #19
ericmay wrote: post #12

Buy a bidet! I thought this was a fun tidbit: "The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually." I'm not sure if using a bidet would be better for the environment but maybe this is a blessi…

And if you really wanted... buy washable toilet paper towels. https://www.marleysmonsters.com/collections/toilet-unpaper-a... As someone on the border, the tariffs do screw over individual folks on both sides of it. Canadian grocery prices are awfully high and they've been known for various price-fixing scandals (the Loblaws bread-fixing apology gift cards come to mind) so there's often a lot of Canadian Walmart/Sams…

> And if you really wanted... buy washable toilet paper towels. https://www.marleysmonsters.com/collections/toilet-unpaper-a...

I'm simultaneously surprised and not surprised that this exists (we buy washable paper towels and beeswax items and similar for reusability) but even I think that's even a bridge too far. More power to anyone who is using those products though.

I've personally always found US customs easy to deal with for purchased products. When we came back from France last year with around a case of wine my wife was worried and I'm like what is there to worry about? we're not smuggling anything and the worst case is we just pay a duty on the wine of a $1 or $2. You just declare it and if duties are applicable you just pay them. It always seemed to me they were really there to just keep people from doing crazy things or outright breaking import laws. Similar to your experience, coming back from Toronto with a few purchased items, US customs just did not care at all.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#34

Post by ericmay »

stuff4ben wrote: post #31
ericmay wrote: post #12

Buy a bidet! I thought this was a fun tidbit: "The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually." I'm not sure if using a bidet would be better for the environment but maybe this is a blessi…

Unfortunately I don't have electrical in my toilet closet in my master bath. I'd totally do it though.

They have battery operated ones! Maybe there's still an option for you there.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#36

Post by account42 »

ks2048 wrote: post #11

> The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually. Wastefulness is a national pastime.

Are the rolls the same sizes for all countries? Both in the number of sheets and in the amount of fiber used.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#37

Post by SubiculumCode »

stuff4ben wrote: post #31
ericmay wrote: post #12

Buy a bidet! I thought this was a fun tidbit: "The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually." I'm not sure if using a bidet would be better for the environment but maybe this is a blessi…

Unfortunately I don't have electrical in my toilet closet in my master bath. I'd totally do it though.

I have two bidets, neither use electricity. Also they fit on existing toilets. Just search bidet kit.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#38

Post by ButlerianJihad »

ericmay wrote: post #12

Buy a bidet! I thought this was a fun tidbit: "The US accounts for more than 20% of global tissue consumption despite having only 4% of the world’s population. The average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year, making them No 1 for No 2s globally, just ahead of Germans, each using an average of 134 rolls annually." I'm not sure if using a bidet would be better for the environment but maybe this is a blessi…

During the lockdowns, my local Catholic parish office indicated to me that they held some TP in reserve, in case any parishioners got desperate during the shortages. There were really problematic runs on items like that in every store in our area. Of course, if you had excess TP, it was also a good strategic donation, for the less fortunate.

I contemplated a bidet during the lockdowns, and some YouTubers were touting their convenience and comfort. But ultimately, I rent an apartment with a landlady, and there's no way a bidet could get installed and survive my lease agreement.

So I decided that a good compromise was to start buying wet wipes. I found the "Sensitive" Huggies to be fairly good. Unscented and gentle. There's also "Honest" brand at Target, marketed to adults. Supposedly flushable. I don't flush them.

It's been working out so well that I carry around the wet wipes in my pocket, everywhere I go. They have saved me in many situations in many public restrooms. And they can also clean up my hands if I happen to get muddy or gritty while I'm out and about.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#39

Post by mywittyname »

gonzalohm wrote: post #28
myrmidon wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those numbers sound insane to me. This is almost half a roll per day, for a single person? Can any average american or german person comment on how this actually works? Do you wipe like 15 times per visit, or is it just a very high amount (folded?) of sheets per wipe?

The average is probably calculated as total toilet paper used / US population. This doesn't mean than the average American uses that much paper. I believe it just means a lot of it is wasted (probably just thrown away without even using it) unsure why though

If TP gets wet, even slightly, it's unusable. Since it's designed to disintegrate upon contact with water.

Re: Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada

#40

Post by throwforfeds »

petcat wrote: post #25

Bidets need to become the norm. Canada's massive logging and mineral extraction industries have lead to significantly reduced tree-cover and (in some places) long term deforestation.

Not sure why the down votes, having even just a simple bidet sprayer attachment is strictly better than toilet paper. It's not even close.
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