Chapter 1: The Origins of Toilet Paper

Have you ever wondered when toilet paper was first created?

The design of toilet paper rolls was patented by Seth Wheeler (Image: Wikimedia Commons). Despite being less than two centuries old, toilet paper has become an essential item in our daily lives, with over 30 billion rolls produced annually. The journey to the modern toilet paper we use today involved decades of improvements. For instance, in 1930, marketing claims proudly highlighted that their toilet paper was free of splinters.

What did people use before the advent of modern toilet paper?

In ancient Greece, people sometimes used pieces of ceramics inscribed with the names of their adversaries (Image: greecehighdefinition.com). While our bodies have operated the same way for thousands of years—food intake leading to waste removal—the concept of toilet paper is relatively recent. So, how did our ancestors maintain cleanliness?

The ancient Chinese utilized paper for hygiene, which was softer than standard paper and often perfumed for those in the imperial court. The first documented use of toilet paper in China dates back to 589 AD, although it’s likely that this practice began much earlier, following the invention of paper in the 2nd century BC.

Meanwhile, the Romans employed a device called xylospongium, which was essentially a sponge attached to a stick, rinsed in vinegar after each use (Image: Wikimedia Commons).

The Greeks made do with stones (pessoi) or shards of pottery (ostraka) for cleaning, which could lead to irritation and discomfort.

In ancient Japan, wooden skewers known as chuugi, or "shit sticks," were used for cleanliness (Image: Wikimedia Commons). Throughout history, people have used a variety of materials to stay clean, including water, grass, cloth, leaves, and even snow.

The Key Developments in Toilet Paper History

In 1857, Joseph C. Gayetty introduced paper specifically for toilet use, packaged as individual sheets infused with aloe vera (Image: Wikimedia Commons). In 1871, Seth Wheeler patented the rolled and perforated version we are familiar with today. By 1890, Scott Paper Company began selling toilet paper on a roll, and in 1930, Northern Tissue Company released splinter-free toilet paper, a welcome advancement for consumers.

A significant innovation came in 1942 when St Andrew’s Paper Mill in England launched Andrex, the first two-ply toilet paper known for its softness.

In 1954, colored toilet paper made its debut, and a year later, Scott Paper Company became the first to advertise toilet paper on television.

The First Toilet Paper Crisis

In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a global toilet paper shortage arose due to panic buying. However, this was not the first occurrence of such a crisis. The first toilet paper shortage happened in 1973, triggered by the Arab-Israeli War, which led to widespread rumors in Japan about an impending toilet paper shortage. This resulted in frantic purchasing behavior among Japanese housewives, and on December 19, 1973, comedian Johnny Carson's joke about the U.S. running out of toilet paper sparked a real shortage.

The environmental impact of toilet paper production is significant, with approximately 27,000 trees cut down daily to meet demand. Could humanity ever consider giving up toilet paper for the sake of our planet? After all, we thrived for millennia without it...