What to Know Before Flushing Bamboo Toilet Paper Into Your Septic System

Depending on where you live, your home may be attached to your community's public water and sewer system, or you may rely on a private system, like a septic tank. Those with septic tanks know the importance of ensuring that you're only using septic safe items when you have one of these buried wastewater systems in your yard, because otherwise you run the risk of backing up your pipes and causing a messy (and expensive) problem for yourself.

Those who grew up with septic systems know that there are specific rules when it comes to the bathroom — like when to "flush it down" and when to "let it mellow" — but things aren't as clear when it comes to your TP options. For years, many people with septic tanks opted to use single-ply regular paper as their go-to TP, but with so many brands on the market now, some are wondering if it's time to branch out.

Keep reading as we find out if bamboo toilet paper is septic safe, and why it may be an eco-friendly choice.

There's good news for those who are reaching for a roll of bamboo toilet paper while sitting on the john. The TP that is made from bamboo (as opposed to the wood that is used in processing and manufacturing traditional TP) is indeed septic safe. According to the Supeck Septic Services blog, bamboo toilet paper is the perfect choice for those with septic systems at home.

Not only is bamboo toilet paper a welcome alternative to traditional toilet paper — which may actually add BPA into your tank thanks to some of the recycled materials that are routinely used to make toilet paper — it may actually actually be better at breaking down. That's because bamboo can break down at a significantly faster rate, taking up less room and requiring fewer clean outs, per Supeck Septic Services.

And, because it's made from mostly natural and minimally processed materials, it shouldn't mess with that helpful bacteria that is required to help degrade the things inside of your tank and keep your septic system running smoothly.

Using bamboo toilet paper may benefit more than your tank, it could also be better for the environment, as far as toilet paper options go. Not only is bamboo a readily available resource — in fact, it's so abundant and plentiful in some areas that it's actually considered invasive and is prohibited to be planted in certain residential communities — but it's easily and quickly replenished after harvesting.

That being said, there are those who poo-poo (pun intended) the TP option, like the Sierra Club. According to the environmental group, if sustainability is your goal, a more traditional recycled toilet paper that is labeled as "elemental chlorine free" or "processed chlorine free" can be more eco-friendly than bamboo TP, which is typically made from virgin bamboo.

In the end, deciding what material to use to clean the most private part of your body is going to be a deeply personal one. But, at least septic tank users can rest easy knowing that as far as plumbing goes, bamboo is a perfectly acceptable option.