| You weren't your mama's only boy But her favorite one it seems She began to cry when you said goodbye And sank into your dreams Poncho & Lefty Steven Van Zandt |
Dominic Vautier
03/2014
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We spend our entire lives using TP. It is very hard to measure consumption unless you kept close track. If you live to be 75 how much TP do you consume in a lifetime? Wow many many trees? Here are some ideas that could save a family easily tens of thousands of dollars and trees over their lives. I'm not suggesting switching to leaves or anything radical. After all it is a renewable resource but it costs.
1) Never try to use a wall mounted holder in your bathroom. It looks nice but it is a colossal waste of time and money. If you use a holder there is no limit to the dispensing of the product. Kids, especially boys make a fun game of running out huge lengths. Somehow we have been told that TP is supposed to go on the wall. It does not but we as consumers are conditioned to think this way.
2) There is only one way to dispense TP at home and that way is by hand using individual rolls. Hold the roll center by two or three fingers of one hand and unroll into the other hand. Use the index and little finger to unspool the necessary amount. If you just decide to unroll from a new roll you will always get too much and the wad keeps growing. This really matters over a lifetime. Teach your kids how to unspool TP.
Here is a correct way to unspool TP.
Here is the incorrect way to do it because it is dependant on the size of the roll.
3) Look for sales, especially at Cosco. You can never buy too much, it will never go to waste, and it has a very long shelf life. There are always good sales around. Price per weight is the rule and is a simple calculation but not always what you should use. Don't try to consider sheet count per roll or thickness or other complex variables. Count surface area not absorption or softness. When you find a deal buy in quantity and go by cost per weight. Most of the time sheet count is printed on the outside. Prices vary greatly. Charmin is usually twice as expensive as MD or a store brand. Remember sheet size is not always the determining factor. Surface area is.
4) Try to buy smaller rolls. The large "Charmin" type
promotes a lot of excessive use and waste. That's what the industry wants you to
believe. The jumbo rolls are designed only
so you use more than you need. As for softness, absorption and texture
that may be a consideration but a family that consists largely of boys, fiber
strength is the major factor. For a family with a majority of girls
absorption is probably more important. Families with more girls use
much more TP and prefer softer absorbent TP. Smaller rolls last longer
because it takes longer to unspool them by hand if that's what the family does. Public
bathrooms have thin flimsy hard sheets because it saves money. They tend to use large spools
with paper that is narrow. It takes time to get enough TP wrapped around
your hand in public bathrooms so less is used.
4) Try baskets near the toilet to store TP. There will always be a supply and it's easy to keep from running out. You will not be caught short and it saves storing TP somewhere else. Each toilet can have a separate supply. Eventually the larger rolls become smaller rolls. Wait till they are almost used up then refill the basket. This procedure works great and cuts down considerably on TP use and time spent filling a wall spool.
5) Some bulk stores like Costco sell rolls that have thin strong sheets. This represents a significant saving over time.
6) It's much easier to grab a roll from a basket than it is to twist around and try to get something off a wall. This can save a lot of backs, especially for older people.
7) It's more reassuring when you have guests over for them to see a basket of TP beside the toilet.
Here are some examples of commercial dispensers. The rolls are large and the paper very thin and not always too strong.
Some dispensers offer resistance so you have to pull several times to get enough. This reduces use and cost for the store. It also makes you work harder.
