WHO GIVES A CRAP

Did you know the average man spends the equivalent of a year of his life sitting on the toilet?! The guys over at WHO GIVES A CRAP recently shared with me a sample of their toilet paper made from environmentally-friendly materials and the results of a survey they took about the potty habits of dads. Here are some of the results from their discussion with dads about a topic everybody does but rarely talks about:

• Use your phone on the loo? 40% say "ewww no" 
• Hanging the TP, over vs. under: over obviously won that one (79%) 
• Always flush or sometimes let it mellow: 47% say let it mellow! 
• Scrunch vs. fold: right down the middle, folks! A nation divided

Why is it important to talk about taking a crap? Because people are flushing a lot of toilet paper down the drain and the majority of that is made of virgin wood pulp from trees that have been cut down through unsustainable harvesting methods that damage forest environments. When I say " a lot " that is taking into consideration that around the world the average person uses 100 rolls of toilet paper per year. To keep up with demand the toilet paper industry manufactures around 84 million rolls per day.

WHO GIVES A CRAP is striving to provide toilet paper in a more environmentally-friendly way. They are producing it either made from 100% recycled paper or with 100% sustainably harvested bamboo.  Their rolls are wrapped in colorfully styled print patterns but while the company may be green the toilet paper they make is still the white style everybody is used to.  It looks like the paper towels we keep around the house to clean up messes and spills but it felt a lot softer to the touch when testing it out.

Who hasn't found themselves stuck in the bathroom without a roll of toilet paper handy. Come on raise your hand you know it has happened to you! In each WHO GIVES A CRAP case of toilet paper are some emergency rolls highlighted in red packaging.  Don't use these red rolls unless you've completely run out and opening one up means it is time to rush to restock your supply of toilet paper right away.

In addition to trying to save the planet's forests through promoting recycling and sustainable harvesting practices when it comes to paper products, WHO GIVES A CRAP is also working to have an impact on improving the living environment of people who are lacking modern sanitation in their communities. While many of us take using a bathroom for granted, you may be startled to discover that 2.3 billion people (roughly 40% of the world’s population) don’t have access to a toilet.

In fact, around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrheal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's almost 800 children per day, or one child every two minutes. So while we joked a bit above about dads' bathroom habits, for many families around the globe this isn't a laughing matter. To help change these conditions WHO GIVES A CRAP donates 50% of its profits to non-profit groups such as WaterAid Australia, Sanergy, Shining Hope For Communities and Lwala Community Alliance to improve sanitation for needy areas around the world.

Using this toilet paper shows you give a crap about our planet's environment.  Although this toilet paper is eco-friendly that doesn't mean you have to give up comfort either.  My family tried out the recycled 3-ply toilet paper sent our way without any complaints.  Of course I'm not going to provide a graphic demonstration of our review. Though I will say my daughter smiled when she first tried it out by rubbing the paper against her face.  If it was comfortable to touch against that cheek you are sure to not mind using it for the ones on your bum. Also, WHO GIVES A CRAP doesn't use any inks, dyes or scents when it comes to their toilet paper.

To find out more about WHO GIVES A CRAP products, including paper towels and facial tissues, head over to us.whogivesacrap.org