Why bamboo toilet paper?

Oh 2020 and the famous toilet paper craziness. With people staying at home because of business closings and shelter-in-place orders as the news pandemic started, the demand for consumer toilet paper skyrocketed while the demand for commercial toilet paper has decreased. Recent analysis found that American consumers used an average of 25 kilograms of toilet paper per person in a year, the equivalent of 144 Charmin Mega Rolls. So reasonable to consider why staple would be high in priority in everyone’s mind and grocery list.

When considering how much toilet paper we use, can just imagine how much trees it takes to meet this demand. Toilet paper wipes out 27,000 trees a day. Worldwide, the equivalent of almost 270,000 trees is either flushed or dumped in landfills every day and roughly 10 percent of that total is attributable to toilet paper, according to the latest issue of World Watch magazine.

Why does using bamboo toilet paper make sense? It is the fastest growing plant on the planet due to a unique rhizome-dependent system and can grow up to 20 times faster than trees in northern boreal forests. Certain species of bamboo can grow 910 mm (36 in) within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost 40 mm (1 ¹⁄₂ in) an hour (a growth around 1 mm every 90 seconds, or 1 inch every 40 minutes). Bamboo toilet roll, when responsibly sourced, is certainly more sustainable than virgin wood pulp used in the more popular brands.

Bamboo not only grows faster than any other plant, but it produces more than 35 percent more oxygen than trees. It has been found that bamboo can absorb up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide per 2.5 acres in a single year. 

If you needed one more reason to make the switch, Bamboo growing requires no pesticides or fertilizers. The leave that drop to the ground are enough to provide it with the necessary nutrients.  So that means that bamboo is 100% organically grown.

Toilet paper is an item we all need in our homes. Imagine by just making that switch to use bamboo toilet paper versus other popular types, what a small impact that would make. I have already made the switch in my home. My goal is to encourage 20 of my contacts to make the same switch to make an impact beyond my own purchasing power. If you too are choosing to use your purchasing power to influence this change, please share your story with me.

Monica Peña at [email protected] . I will contact you if I plan to share on social media. Let’s collaborate and influence this world in a positive way together !

A Life on Our Planet

Prior to the pandemic, it was rare that I would watch TV and binge watching movies on Netflix for a whole weekend was not even a consideration. This changed a bit this year for me as it did for many. Between random shows I found one documentary that would solidify the need I had to make small constant changes in my personal life as a stepping stone to a positive change in the world. This was David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.

I remember seeing his adventures in nature shows when I was young and watching the seriousness about his current message touched a nerve in me to take further action. Sadly, the populations of animals that he filmed in his early years are less than half now in existence. This unique feature documentary is his witness statement after a lifetime of him documenting nature and seeing the decline in whole habitats all over the world. Instead of being happily retired, the 93 year old Attenborough made this film and continues to advocate for our Earth, our future.

Although his message is solemn, there is still hope and it is not too late. We still have the ability to make things right. The documentary ends with action items we can all be a part of and encourage others to make similar changes. As Mr. Attenborough stated, “It’s not about saving our planet. It is about saving ourselves.” We can raise the standard of living around the world without increasing our impact on the world.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet is definitely a must watch. Please share if this documentary moved you to a change and share what was that change.

Monica Peña at [email protected] . I will contact you if I plan to share on social media. Let’s collaborate and influence this world in a positive way together !

Clarity during a pandemic

We all remember seeing the pictures after lockdown of the clearer skies in major cities. As complete populations stayed indoors, it seemed the Earth started healing.

When humans were under strict guidelines to stay indoors, wildlife roamed freely in usually crowded urban areas. At times it even felt like the birds were chirping louder.

After the initial shock, what being under quarantine did was give clarity of the world around us. Having our lives as we knew it change so drastically, gave us time to reflect on habits before the pandemic and the importance of being intentional in our daily activities. If changes were going to be made there was no better time than now.

I personally took the time to reflect on even my decisions as a consumer and decide which changes I needed to make. Even small adjustments as a consumer could make bigger differences if constantly followed or others went the same route. I was going to start at home.

I will share my journey during some of these decisions. Please share clarity you uncovered during 2020 or tips that may be helpful to us by emailing me

Monica Peña at [email protected] . I will contact you if I plan to share on social media. Let’s collaborate and influence this world in a positive way together !