This is a comprehensive post about bamboo toilet paper and septic systems. Our team got many questions about this topic, so we decided to look into it. We have done thorough research and we want to share our findings with you in this post.
What about bamboo toilet paper and septic systems? You can safely use bamboo toilet paper in your septic system because bamboo tissue paper is 100% biodegradable. If you flush it down your toilet, it will break well, fast, and completely. More so, bamboo washroom paper doesn’t contain harsh chemical products that can disrupt the balance of microbes in the septic tank.
In recent times, there have been many campaigns in favor of bamboo tissue paper. People love it because of its eco-friendliness, but then how safe is it for septic tanks? Is bamboo washroom paper better than regular tissue paper for septic systems? Are there cautions to take if you are using bamboo tissue paper for your septic system? Read on as we shed light on these questions.
Is Bamboo Toilet Paper Septic-Safe?
Bamboo toilet paper is strong, yet very soft, so it is septic-safe. This type of toilet paper has highly biodegradable fibers, so it will fully disintegrate if you flush it down into your septic tank. This means that bamboo washroom paper will not clog up your pipes or sit still in your septic tank and block it. However, it is best to use unbleached bamboo tissue paper for the safety of your septic system. Septic tanks use microbes to break down tissue papers, but bleach can kill these microbes and render the septic tank less effective.
Whenever you flush tissue paper down your toilet, it travels to the septic tank and sinks to its bottom. If the tissue paper is soft, the water from flushing will break it down before it gets into the septic tank. But if it is not soft, it won’t break down, and it will either form a clump in the pipes or sit still in the septic tank and cause blockage over time.
Bamboo toilet paper is soft and water easily disintegrates it. This means you can safely use it if you have a septic system in your home.
What Makes Bamboo Toilet Paper Septic-Safe?
The major factor that makes bamboo tissue paper septic-safe is its biodegradability. It disintegrates quickly, easily, and completely. However, if the bamboo tissue paper contains bleach or other harsh and toxic chemicals, it will compromise its safety for septic systems. So then, septic-safe tissue papers are both biodegradable and bleach-free.
Biodegradable Toilet Papers are Septic-Safe
The bonds that hold bamboo tissue paper fibers together are looser. The bonds break easily when they come in contact with water, making the fibers highly dissolvable. This kind of tissue paper is good for septic systems and will make them last longer.
Bleach-Free Toilet Papers are Septic-Free
Bleach-free toilet papers are not more biodegradable than bleached toilet papers. However, bleach (as well as other toxic or harsh chemicals) is not good for septic systems because it can disturb the balance of microbes in the septic system.
Aside from water, septic systems use microbes to further break waste products and toilet papers down. Harsh chemicals can kill some of these microbes, thus slowing down the breakdown process
Bamboo Toilet Paper vs Regular for Septic System
Unlike regular toilet paper, bamboo tissue papers have less risk of clogging septic systems. Since regular toilet papers are not as biodegradable as bamboo tissue paper, they take more time to break down fully. This means they hardly would break down fully in the pipe, while on their way to the septic tank. Conversely, bamboo tissue paper usually breaks down completely while still in the pipe before it reaches the septic tank. Unlike many regular toilet papers, the water used to flush bamboo tissue paper is enough to disintegrate the paper completely.
Without a doubt, the toilet paper type you use in the toilet will affect how long your septic system lasts and how well it works. Any toilet paper that will not break down easily is not good for septic systems. Such papers can cause scums, sludges, and drain clogs.
If you use bamboo tissue paper, you can rest assured as you flush it down your toilet. It will help preserve your septic system and save you from spending on plumbing repairs. This is one of the advantages of bamboo toilet paper over regular toilet paper.
Does Bamboo Toilet Paper Break Down?
All papers (including bamboo toilet papers) are biodegradable, so they all break down. However, some paper types degrade faster than others. And some require less water to break down than others. This is where bamboo toilet paper outshines regular toilet papers. It breaks down very quickly and needs less water to do so. What toilet paper can you use when camping? Check out this article that we have written titled, can you use bamboo toilet paper in an RV toilet? Learn more about this type of toilet paper.
✅ Video – Can You Flush Toilet Paper in Septic Tank?
Should you flush toilet paper down into your septic tank or throw them into a trash can? What other materials should you or should you not flush down into your septic can? Can you flush baby wipes, sanitary pads, and tampons too? Watch this video now for all the answers you are looking for.
Cautions With Bamboo Toilet Paper and Septic Systems
Bamboo toilet paper is generally septic-safe, but you must use them judiciously to preserve your septic system. Although bamboo tissue paper is highly biodegradable, you should not flush too much of it down the drain at once. Also, make sure to do regular plumbing checkups and get your septic tank pumped as at when due. If you don’t sludge may accumulate over time and cause a blockage.
It doesn’t matter what type of toilet paper you are using, you should take caution if you are using a septic system in your home. Here are two main cautions you should pay attention to:
Use Toilet Paper Judiciously
Do not wad up big balls of tissue paper when you use your toilet. About 5 or 6 sheets should be good enough. Anything more than that may be too much for the water from flushing to fully break down. What’s more, fold the toilet paper over just once. The bottom line is not to send large toilet paper chunks down the drain at once.
Maintain Your Septic Tank
Care for your septic system and make sure that the tank and your pipelines are at their best always. This means you should get a professional plumber to do regular plumbing checkups. Also, schedule for your septic tank to be pumped every 3-5 years to prevent sludge buildup.
What Toilet Paper is Not Safe for Septic Tanks?
Thick, quilted, and/or bleached toilet papers are not safe for septic systems. Toilet papers come in either one-ply, two-ply, or three-ply sheets. The thickest of them all are three-ply sheets, and they are quite unsafe for septic systems. One-ply sheets are safe but they may be too soft. Two-ply sheets are okay; they are thick enough, yet soft enough to disintegrate easily. Bleached toilet papers are unsafe because they can kill the bacteria in your septic tank and reduce biodegradation in the tank. We have also written this article titled, what is the worst toilet paper for septic system? Check out the article to learn more about the topic.
Is Toilet Paper Bad for Septic Systems?
Septic systems are designed to flush and disintegrate toilet papers. So then, toilet papers are not bad for septic systems. Just make sure to use easily biodegradable and unbleached toilet paper.
If you’re wondering, what then is bad for septic systems? Any other thing aside from tissue paper and human waste is bad for septic systems. You should not flush any material other than these down your toilet.
What Toilet Paper do Plumbers Recommend?
Plumbers recommend high-quality tissue paper that is kind to the sensitive skin of the pubic and groin regions. They recommend soft tissue papers that will not cause plumbing problems. But the paper should also be thick enough to clean up messes completely without leaving any trace behind. You can also check out this article that discusses if bamboo toilet paper is septic safe. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.
Conclusion
Bamboo toilet paper is a good option for the safety of septic systems. It is better than regular tissue paper in many ways, including safety for septic systems. However, for better safety, you should look for unbleached bamboo toilet paper. What’s more, even when you use bamboo tissue paper, make sure to use the toilet paper judiciously. Also, maintain your septic tank by doing regular plumbing checkups and getting your septic tank pumped every 3-5 years.