We all visit the smallest room in the house every day, but traditional toilet paper consumption has a serious environmental impact.
For a start, it's made from trees, which take up to 30 years to grow back. The WWF estimates about 270,000 trees are "effectively flushed down the toilet or end up as garbage" in tissue products every day worldwide.
Not only that, but traditional toilet paper production also requires a lot of water and energy, and uses harsh chemicals that end up in our waterways.
One increasingly popular solution to this problem is to switch to environmentally friendly toilet paper such as bamboo. But could hemp be another even more sustainable option?
Below, we discuss the pros and cons of hemp toilet paper, dispel the myths you may have read elsewhere...
Contents
Hemp Toilet Paper is a reusable, environmentally friendly alternative to toilet paper.
As the name suggests, Hemp Toilet Paper is made from the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). But it's not made using cannabis leaves. The hemp used to make paper comes from the inside of the stalk of the hemp plant and contains very little THC.
Hemp fibers are strong and durable, so you use fewer sheets compared to conventional toilet paper. And because hemp production doesn’t require the use of chlorine bleach, it produces less harmful waste products.
It is also seen as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly material for paper products, compared to trees.
Hemp is a more sustainable resource than trees because it thrives in most climates without the need for pesticides or herbicides. It also requires less water than trees and uses minimal fertilizers.
The most significant environmental benefits of hemp are listed below.
Hemp fiber is an annual crop that's typically ready to harvest within about 70 - 90 days ("Hemp as a potential raw material toward a sustainable world," Ahmed et al, 2022).
In comparison, bamboo takes 3-5 years, while trees take between 6 and 20 years, depending on the species.
Hemp cultivation requires “low or no use of pesticides” (European Commission).
Of the 48 pesticide products registered for use on hemp, 46 are biopesticides derived from natural materials (EPA).
Compared to wood pulp, hemp relies less on pesticides and herbicides, which become pollutants that are absorbed into waterways or soak into groundwater.
Industrial hemp typically consumes just 353 mm of water over a growing season ("Water consumption of industrial hemp," Thevs/Aliev, 2022).
In comparison, eucalyptus trees grown for pulp consume 877 to 1,001 mm per year ("Estimations of evapotranspiration in an age sequence of Eucalyptus plantations in subtropical China", Liu et al, 2017).
Hemp is adaptable to most climates.
Currently, 42 countries produce significant quantities of industrial hemp (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development).
The only places where hemp doesn't grow well are polar, very cold, or extremely dry zones.
Some sources claim that hemp is better than wood pulp because it uses fewer chemicals like chlorine.
This is misleading because chlorine is no longer widely used in tissue and paper towel manufacturing at all (American Forest & Paper Association).
This practice has been largely replaced by Elementally Chlorine Free (ECF) methods, which use chlorine dioxide, or Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) methods, which use oxygen-based chemicals like peroxide or ozone
However, a process known as hot-water autohydrolysis has been proven to process hemp without using any cooking chemicals ("Ecofriendly and innovative processing of hemp hurds fibers for tissue and towel paper," Naithani et al, 2020).
While not yet used on an industrial scale, hot-water autohydrolysis has the potential to make hemp paper processing less chemically intensive than tree-based toilet paper.
Farms with lower pesticide use usually host more species of plants, insects, and birds.
Two large meta-analyses found that “low-input/organic” fields support about one-third more species on average than conventional fields ("The effects of organic agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: a meta-analysis," Bengtsson et al, 2005).
Pesticide use has consistent negative effects on wild plants, beneficial beetles, and farmland birds ("Persistent negative effects of pesticides on biodiversity and biological
control potential on European farmland," Geiger et al, 2009).
A common myth claims that hemp paper is more biodegradable than any other kind of tissue paper. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this.
Hemp toilet paper is biodegradable, but no more so than paper made from bamboo or wood pulp.
All papers with low lignin (typical of bleached chemical pulps used for toilet tissue) biodegrade readily (NCASI fact sheet).
Hemp hurds are about 21 - 24% lignin ("Properties Characterization of Chemically Modified Hemp Hurds," Stevulova et al, 2014).
Hardwoods used for pulp are typically 21 - 31% lignin, and softwoods 27 - 32% ("Lignin–carbohydrate complexes: properties, applications, analyses, and methods of extraction: a review," Tarasov et al, 2018).
With no significant difference between lignin content, hemp and wood pulp toilet papers are expected to decompose at roughly the same speed.
As well as a potentially lower environmental footprint, its softness, toughness, and anti-bacterial qualities are other reasons why hemp is a good material for making toilet paper.
Hemp toilet paper is naturally softer than any other type of paper. This makes it more comfortable to use on your more delicate and sensitive areas.
This is especially good when you have sensitive skin, suffer from hemorrhoids, or are struggling with constipation.
Even though hemp toilet paper is soft, it's also stronger. This means you use less, and yet still won't run the risk of the dreaded tears sometimes associated with regular soft toilet tissue.
The tough fibers in hemp toilet paper mean they'll hold up a lot longer than other types of paper, even if you use it frequently.
Many antibacterial agents come from nature. They work by attacking germs on the surface of the skin, as well as within the body.
Hemp is one such plant that contains antibacterial agents. Hemp toilet paper can prevent bacterial growth and infection where you need it most!
Despite the benefits, there are some key disadvantages to hemp as a bathroom tissue material that explain why we still don't see it widely sold in the US.
Hemp is a low-yield crop compared to wood pulp (don't believe the websites that claim otherwise, they're quoting a report that is more than 100 years old!)
That's one of the reasons why it's more expensive to produce, which is why it's still virtually impossible to buy any toilet rolls made from hemp.
Some sources claim that hemp produces four times more pulp per hectare than trees. But this statistic comes from a 1916 USDA bulletin that compared hemp hurds with “average pulp-wood lands” of that era. It concluded that 10,000 acres of hemp rotation equaled 40,500 acres of timber (USDA Bulletin No. 404, 1916).
However, that figure reflected very low tree yields from over a century ago and is no longer accurate.
In fact, now the opposite is true.
A 2010 peer-reviewed life cycle assessment in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment directly compared hemp and eucalyptus paper in Portugal and found the opposite. To make one tonne of paper, hemp requires 0.012 hectares per rotation. In contrast, eucalyptus requires only 0.003 hectares per rotation. That means hemp uses four times more land ("Industrial hemp or eucalyptus paper?," da Silva Vieira et al., 2010).
The report concludes: “The main difference between life cycles in terms of direct land use is the fiber production stage, where hemp requires larger areas than eucalyptus” (da Silva Vieira et al., 2010).
Therefore, despite what other sources may claim, modern data shows eucalyptus is more land-efficient than hemp for paper production.
Flax and hemp fibres cost more than traditional wood pulp, according to the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi).
This is partly due to the lower yield as mentioned above, and partly due to the higher mechanical cost of harvesting (da Silva Vieira et al., 2010).
A University of Minnesota study modeled chemical-pulp mills and found projected operating costs of about $399/ton for aspen and $460/ton for spruce, versus $550/ton for hemp core and $600/ton for hemp bast ("Industrial Hemp as a Papermaking Raw Material in Minnesota", J L Bowyer, 2001).
Bowyer adds that required covered storage for the annual hemp harvest would add 5% ($25–26/ton) to costs.
Because of the higher cost, hemp toilet paper is not readily available to buy (yet).
Unfortunately, when it comes to where to buy hemp toilet paper, there are very few options.
The only source I've found online is Alibaba. But the catch is that they come from Chinese suppliers, so you don't get any traceability or quality assurance.
Also, you can only buy in bulk, and you have to take into account the carbon footprint of shipping.
It seems pointless to buy hemp toilet paper for its environmental benefits, only to then have it shipped from China with a massive carbon footprint.
That's why, at this point, hemp toilet paper is not a viable option for US residents. Instead, we need to look at products like bamboo or recycled toilet paper as eco-friendly alternatives.
There are many alternatives to hemp toilet paper, including conventional toilet paper, bamboo toilet paper, and recycled paper.
If you came here looking to buy hemp toilet paper and are disappointed about its lack of availability, I strongly recommend that you consider bamboo toilet paper as an alternative.
Check out our guide to the best eco-friendly toilet paper brands to find a product that fits in with your sustainable lifestyle.
Hemp toilet paper has a cleaner production process than bamboo toilet paper, and it has the added bonus of having antibacterial properties.
However, bamboo toilet paper is much more readily available to buy, and is also cheaper.
Both hemp and bamboo toilet paper have environmental benefits when compared to regular toilet paper. So whichever you choose, it's classed as a sustainable alternative.
Hemp plants are a natural source of cellulose, which means that hemp cellulose fibers can easily replace the pulp in paper production. For centuries, hemp pulp has been utilized to produce paper and fabric due to its material similarity to wood.
One of the most common manufacturing processes involves depositing wood pulp on a moving mesh conveyor belt. The water is pressed out, and the fibers are separated by screens.
However, because of its natural properties, hemp has fewer scrap fragments than wood fibers. With sufficient de-inking, these would not even need to be separated. This results in a more homogeneous paper quality, and also reduces water usage.
Toilet paper made from hemp has a softer touch than wood-based products, and it is less abrasive: Softer fibers lead to fewer skin irritations and rashes.
Yes. Hemp paper can be just as safe as wood-pulp paper. Safety depends on the process, not the plant.
Choose ECF or TCF bleached grades and ask the supplier for a simple food-contact compliance statement.
If the paper uses recycled content, watch for possible mineral-oil migration and prefer virgin-fiber or barrier-coated grades for direct food use.
No. CBD comes from the flowers and leaves of the plant, while hemp paper is made from the stalk fibers.
The high-temperature pulping and bleaching steps remove any trace organics, so finished paper does not contain active cannabinoids.
No. Like regular paper, hemp paper absorbs water and isn’t waterproof by default.
It can be made water-resistant by adding surface/barrier coatings (e.g. wax or a thin biopolymer/plastic layer), but true “waterproof” performance usually requires a laminate-style coating.
Yes. Hemp-based products such as hemp bathroom tissues and bed linens come from plants that are naturally strong, soft, and absorbent.
Hemp's strength and durability make it far superior to common wood pulp bathroom tissues, which can also contain harmful chemicals. Hemp can absorb up to 5 times its weight in water, but the fibers still provide excellent softness and durability.
Hemp paper is more expensive because it has a lower yield and costs more to harvest and to store.
There are not (yet) any large-scale hemp paper manufacturing operations in the West. Hemp crops are only harvested once a year and need to be stored the rest of the time.
However, bear in mind that hemp paper is stronger than regular toilet paper and paper towels, so you use less and every roll lasts longer.
The paper industry is optimized for wood pulp. Paper made from hemp fibers has a very different chemical makeup and process than paper made from wood pulp.
Making the switch would be an expensive investment for paper producers, so you won't see big companies investing in such capital improvements without concrete evidence of consumer demand.
The hemp plant is becoming a significant part of our drive towards sustainable living these days. If you don't use hemp products yet, then chances are you soon will.
I'd love to make Hemp toilet paper a part of my move towards a zero-waste lifestyle, but unfortunately, for now, I can't get any, or at least not from a source I feel comfortable buying from.
There are certainly many advantages, both to your health and the environment. When Hemp TP does make it to these shores, you can bet I'll be one of the first on the uptake. But for now, bamboo toilet paper is the way to go.
