Eco-friendly toilet papers are trendy, but their actual environmental impacts vary

Toilet paper, a product that is used for a few seconds before being disposed of forever, is typically made with trees, energy-intensive manufacturing processes and chemicals that can pollute the environment.

Experts say more consumers are seeking toilet paper made from recycled content or sustainable materials, but it can be hard to know what to look for.

Sustainable toilet paper often costs more, but can have significant environmental benefits. According to the Environmental Paper Network, a coalition of nonprofits, more than 1 billion gallons (3.8 billion liters) of water and 1.6 million trees could be saved if every American used one roll of toilet paper made from recycled content instead of a roll made from forest fibers.

Here are some recommendations for buying sustainable toilet paper or reducing overall toilet paper use.

North American toilet paper has traditionally been made from fibers from trees in Canada and eucalyptus plantations in Brazil. Pulp made from the trees is bleached to create a bright white color, but the chlorine that's often used can hurt the environment. Large amounts of electricity and heat are used to remove moisture and form square sheets.

Increasingly, manufacturers are making toilet paper from recycled paper products, which avoids material from freshly cut trees, and are using chlorine-free bleaching techniques. Once used, toilet paper itself is flushed and not recycled.

Looking for recycled content is a good place for environmentally conscious consumers to start, said Gary Bull, professor emeritus of forest economics at the University of British Columbia. Preconsumer materials include scrap materials from manufacturing or unsold paper. Postconsumer materials come from paper products that have already been used.

Making toilet paper from postconsumer recycled fibers improves its sustainability because paper is “one of the easiest materials on the planet to recycle,” Bull said.

The best way for a scientist to evaluate the carbon footprint of an item is doing a life cycle assessment, which calculates the environmental impacts from when a tree is a seedling to when its fibers are converted into toilet paper and flushed down the drain, Bull said. But that method isn't within reach of consumers, so advocates have undertaken third-party assessments.

Some companies add those labels to packaging to show that their processes have been vetted. Bull said labels on bath tissue from the Forest Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative indicate the company is making scientifically-proven efforts to be sustainable. Both groups' standards include conserving water, wildlife, and biodiversity as well as compliance with applicable forestry laws to keep ecosystems healthy.

The nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council also publishes an annual report that grades toilet papers from A+ to F, with the highest-ranked products being unbleached or bleached without chlorine, containing recycled content and avoiding harmful forestry practices. Aria, Green Forest, Natural Value, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods 365 100% Recycled received the highest letter grade in 2025, with all made entirely from recycled materials.

The “The Issue with Tissue” report was launched in 2019, and NRDC corporate campaign advocate Ashley Jordan said she has noticed dozens of sustainable toilet paper brands have emerged over the last six years.

Kory Russel, assistant professor of landscape architecture and environmental studies at the University of Oregon, said that when people purchase a sustainable product it sends a message to corporations to make more eco-friendly products available.

Sustainable toilet paper brands typically cost more per square foot than conventional products. But Russel said prices will likely drop if consumers continue buying it and manufacturers expand production.

“If more people are buying sustainable toilet paper and demanding it, there should be economies of scale and prices should fall to match that of conventional toilet paper,” he said.

Mark Pitts, executive director of tissue at the American Forest & Paper Association, whose members include large toilet paper manufacturers such as Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Georgia-Pacific, told The Associated Press that sustainability is a core industry focus and members have reported reductions of greenhouse gas emissions along the supply chain. He said that members follow responsible forestry practices and have increased their use of recycled material.

Alternative materials such as fast-growing bamboo are often billed as more sustainable than toilet paper made from trees, but consumers should focus on toilet paper made with recycled materials instead, said Ronalds Gonzalez, an associate professor at North Carolina State University and expert on fibers used in the hygiene industry.

Gonzalez said pollution from manufacturing processes can reduce the benefits of using bamboo. Gonzalez recently co-authored a study that found bamboo toilet paper made in China that is available in the U.S. had a higher environmental impact than toilet paper made in the U.S. with imported forest fibers, largely because Chinese manufacturers use electricity generated by coal. The study found the bamboo toilet paper’s environmental impacts could be reduced when it was produced in regions that use renewable energy.

Bidets are devices that allow people to rinse after using the bathroom so they can reduce or avoid wiping. They're another way people can reduce their toilet paper use.

Bidets, which are popular in Europe, can be a separate wash basin or a device added to toilets that generate a stream of water. Some people still use a small amount of toilet paper to dry off. Bidets that can be attached to your toilet and don't use electricity can cost around $30, while toilet seats with fancy options such as heated water and air dryers can exceed $600. Some bidets require a plumber or contractor to install.

Bidets are a sustainable alternative to conventional toilet paper because “you’re not using any sort of logging, it’s water that’s already coming to your household and it’s very little water,” Russel said.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

This photo shows stacked toilet paper in Arlington, Va., Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Phillis)

Toilet paper sits on shelves at a Trader Joe's in Alexandria, Va., Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Phillis)

Toilet paper sits on shelves at Target in Alexandria, Va., Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Phillis)

This photo shows toilet paper in Arlington, Va., Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Phillis)

PHOENIX (AP) — Dawn Staley has fond memories of her first trip as a coach to the NCAA championship game. It ended with South Carolina's first national title nine years ago.

She hopes that UCLA's first time playing for an NCAA title won't end the same way for the Bruins, who face the Gamecocks on Sunday for the championship.

“It’s special. I mean, it’s special. You’re playing on the last day of college women’s basketball,” Staley said. “It’s a great honor and a great feat whether you win or lose. You also are measuring where your program can continue to go. For us, 2017, we won it. I’m hoping that’s not the same for UCLA on Sunday.”

Since winning that first title, Staley has led the Gamecocks to two more, and she's reached the title game in four of the past five seasons. A win against UCLA would tie Staley with LSU's Kim Mulkey for third most titles by a coach, trailing only Geno Auriemma and the late Pat Summitt.

Staley isn't concerned about her place in history.

“I don’t really compare myself to anybody when it comes to it,” she said. “I mean, I do what I do for our players. I do what I do for the coaches that I work with every single day. Those are the people that are in the trenches. Other people outside of us, I’ve never really compared myself to.”

UCLA's run to its first championship game started last year with a blowout loss to UConn in last year’s Final Four. The Bruins used that as motivation during their return to the national semifinals.

The Bruins' only loss this year came to Texas in November. UCLA got its revenge with a 51-44 win in the Final Four. Now the Bruins are vying for their first national championship since 1978, when women’s basketball was governed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.

“We’ve been very businesslike. We were not jumping around in the locker room. We were not celebrating,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “We have really come to this tournament very focused. We really believe that the job wasn’t done yet. We want to have a chance to compete for a national championship. We want to do that the highest of levels.”

Close said after the win over Texas that it felt like a rugby match. She hopes for a more “aesthetically pleasing game” against the Gamecocks.

“I do think we all want the same thing. The officiating, the coaches, the players, we all want the same thing,” she said. “We want to have a stylistic game that shows off the progress of the game, that continues to grow the game nationally to people who are tuning in. We just have to figure out where that gap is and how we can close it.”

South Carolina freshman Agot Makeer has had an incredible NCAA Tournament, scoring in double figures in all five games after only doing that three times in the Gamecocks' 33 previous games. Makeer is averaging 14.6 points while shooting 55.6% from the field during March Madness.

“I feel like my mindset changed. Starting in the SEC Tournament, I just started approaching games differently,” she said. “And I feel like it wasn’t just one-dimensional thinking. I just wanted to go and do whatever I can to get the team to win. So just in this tournament, I’ve just thought whatever I can do to get this team a win is what I need to do.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

South Carolina forward Maryam Dauda (30) celebrates after a play against UConn during the second half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) and Texas center Kyla Oldacre (00) battle for the ball during the second half of a women's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

UCLA forward Angela Dugalic, left, and UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (5) embrace after defeating Texas in a women's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson, right, and South Carolina guard Agot Makeer (44) celebrate after defeating UConn in a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)