Another Myth Debunked

As I examined that flimsy toilet paper my wife brought home the other day, I found it hard to believe that it wouldn't dissolve in my septic tank, if it even made it that far.  I remembered hearing that 2 ply wasn't suitable for septic tanks from a Procter & Gamble manager back in 1967 or 68 and, the more I thought about it, couldn't remember hearing it from any other source before or since.  So I asked Cortana to see if she could find me a second opinion, and here is what she came up with:

All toilet paper brands on the market today are "septic safe" but some are safer than others.  If you want to err on the side of caution, buy the cheap stuff, not the premium brands that are made with 100% virgin fiber.  All the cheaper brands have at least some recycled fiber in them, which breaks down faster than the virgin stuff from trees.

The first 2 ply tissue that came out, back in the 1950s, was White Cloud, a P&G brand that was introduced as a high end (ahem) alternative to their Charmin brand.  It was thicker and softer than Charmin, but there are some 2 ply brands today that are thinner than some 1 ply varieties.  White Cloud was discontinued back in 1993, and the ruling in a subsequent court case declared that P&G had "abandoned" their trademark rights to the name, so other companies could use it if they wanted to, which they have, so anything called "White Cloud" today is not the same stuff.

It makes me wonder if the White Cloud we had back in the 60s might have had some additional property other than its 2 plyness, like wet strength, that made it unsuitable for septic tanks.  Facial tissue and paper towels have wet strength, but toilet paper does not, at least not anymore.  There are a number of personal hygiene products on the market that are advertised as "flushable".  While they may make it through your toilet, they can cause problems for private septic systems, or even municipal sewer systems.  The bottom line (ahem) is that nothing should be flushed down your toilet except toilet paper and the stuff that makes toilet paper necessary.