As environmental consciousness continues to grow, institutions of all types are evaluating their contributions to environmental degradation and considering ways to reduce their carbon footprint. One such institution is a large university with an on-campus population of 100,000 people during weekdays and 25,000 people on-site during weekends. While seemingly small, one area where a significant environmental impact can be made is through the university's toilet paper usage.

Toilet paper is a product that requires trees, water, and energy to manufacture, and switching from traditional wood-based toilet paper to bamboo toilet paper can lead to significant environmental savings. In this post, we will explore how much toilet paper the university uses, calculate how many trees and gallons of water would be saved annually by switching to bamboo toilet paper, and discuss the potential overall effect on the university’s carbon footprint.

To estimate the environmental impact of switching to bamboo toilet paper, we first need to calculate the university's toilet paper consumption. As mentioned, half of the toilet paper used on campus comes from JRT rolls, which are 1,000 feet in length, and the other half from 550-sheet rolls, with each sheet measuring 4 inches by 4 inches.

Let’s break it down:

• The university has 100,000 people on campus during the weekdays.
• We will assume each person uses 5 feet of toilet paper per visit and that each person uses the restroom twice a day. This is a reasonable estimate based on typical consumption patterns.
• Therefore, the total daily usage for 100,000 people on weekdays would be:
  100,000 people×2 visits/day×5 feet/visit=1,000,000 feet/day
   That means the university uses 1,000,000 feet of toilet paper per day during the week.

• On weekends, 25,000 people are on campus.
• Using the same assumptions for visits and usage, we get:
  25,000 people×2 visits/day×5 feet/visit=250,000 feet/day

So, the university uses 250,000 feet of toilet paper per day on weekends.

• Weekday usage (5 days):
  1,000,000 feet/day×5 days=5,000,000 feet/week
• Weekend usage (2 days):
  250,000 feet/day×2 days=500,000 feet/week

Thus, the total weekly usage of toilet paper on campus is:

5,000,000 feet+500,000 feet=5,500,000 feet/week

Over the course of a year (52 weeks), the total annual usage of toilet paper on campus is:

5,500,000 feet/week×52 weeks/year=286,000,000 feet/year

Next, we’ll calculate how many rolls of toilet paper are used annually. As half the toilet paper is from JRT rolls (1,000 feet each) and the other half from 550-sheet rolls (each sheet is 4 inches by 4 inches, so each roll is 183.33 feet long), we need to split the total usage between the two types of rolls.

• Half of the total usage is from JRT rolls:
  286,000,000 feet/year×0.5=143,000,000 feet/year
• Since each JRT roll is 1,000 feet long, the number of JRT rolls used annually is:
  143,000,000 feet/1,000 feet/roll=143,000 JRT rolls/year

• The other half of the usage is from 550-sheet rolls:
  286,000,000 feet/year×0.5=143,000,000 feet/year
• Since each 550-sheet roll is 183.33 feet long, the number of 550-sheet rolls used annually is:
  143,000,000 feet/183.33 feet/roll≈779,830 rolls/year

Environmental Impact of Switching to Bamboo Toilet Paper

Now that we know how much toilet paper the university uses, we can calculate the environmental savings from switching to bamboo toilet paper.

Each tree used to make wood-based toilet paper produces about 100 pounds of toilet paper, which is roughly equivalent to 800-1,000 rolls. To simplify, we will use an average of 900 rolls per tree for this calculation.

The total number of rolls used annually (JRT rolls + 550-sheet rolls) is:

• 143,000 JRT rolls +779,830 550-sheet rolls = 922,830 rolls/year

The number of trees saved annually by switching to bamboo is: 922,830 rolls

• 900 rolls/tree ≈1,025 trees saved/year
• 900 rolls/tree
• 922,830 rolls ​≈1,025 trees saved/year

The production of traditional wood-based toilet paper requires approximately 37 gallons of water per roll. Bamboo toilet paper requires far less water, as bamboo is a much more water-efficient plant. For this calculation, we will assume a 30% reduction in water usage when producing bamboo toilet paper, meaning bamboo toilet paper uses approximately 26 gallons of water per roll.

The water usage for wood-based toilet paper is:

• 922,830 rolls×37 gallons/roll=34,144,710 gallons/year

The water usage for bamboo toilet paper is:

• 922,830 rolls×26 gallons/roll=23,993,580 gallons/year
• 922,830 rolls×26 gallons/roll=23,993,580 gallons/year

Therefore, the university would save:

• 34,144,710 gallons−23,993,580 gallons=10,151,130 gallons/year

Switching to bamboo toilet paper also helps reduce the university’s carbon footprint. Bamboo grows much faster than trees, requires fewer resources, and absorbs more carbon dioxide. Studies suggest that bamboo absorbs approximately 35% more carbon dioxide than trees. Furthermore, producing bamboo toilet paper typically results in a 30-50% reduction in emissions compared to wood-based toilet paper.

By making the switch, the university could significantly reduce the carbon emissions associated with its toilet paper consumption, while also helping mitigate deforestation, which is a major driver of climate change.

By switching from wood-based toilet paper to bamboo toilet paper, the university would save approximately 1,025 trees and over 10 million gallons of water annually. Additionally, the switch would reduce the university’s carbon footprint, helping to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. This demonstrates how even small changes, like opting for bamboo toilet paper, can have a meaningful impact on the environment. When institutions take responsibility for their resource consumption, they can contribute to the creation of a more sustainable future for all.