Biodegradable Toilet Paper: The Key to a Healthy Septic Tank

by Sarah Breeze April 28, 2021

Key Takeaways

Septic systems can clog or fail if you use the wrong toilet paper.
Biodegradable toilet paper breaks down up to 4 times faster than traditional toilet paper.
Recycled toilet paper is better than tree-based TP but may still contain chlorine or chemicals.
Hemp toilet paper is biodegradable but less soft and less eco-friendly than bamboo.
Bamboo toilet paper is soft, chemical-free and septic-safe, making it the best choice for most households.
Regular maintenance, natural cleaners and flushing only TP and waste are essential for septic health.

Your septic system and the toilet paper you choose can have major effects on your home, your health and the environment.

For example, a faulty septic system can be the culprit in these wide-ranging situations:

You visit your favorite local lake for some swimming fun, only to find it’s covered in algal blooms.
Your kiddo complains of a stomach bug, and you’re stumped because you cooked pasta.
You flush, only to watch in horror as the water level in the toilet rises instead of falls.

About 20% of U.S. homes have “off-the-grid” systems: It’s like a mini-sewage treatment plant on private property. If you’re reading this, chances are you own one. (Who else would read an article about septic tanks?)

Septic systems need regular care and maintenance, including the best toilet paper, to avoid clogged pipes or worse, environmental or public health disasters.

Let’s look at how septic tanks work, the problems they face and how biodegradable toilet paper can keep yours running smoothly.

How Do Septic Tanks Work?

how a septic tank works

A septic tank is a mini-sewage treatment system contained within your property.

Almost one-fifth of U.S. households rely on septic systems instead of municipal sewage networks. They’re more common in rural areas and states, where the cost of connecting to a city sewer system is high.

Even if you own a septic tank, you may not know how it works. Here’s the basic process.

Septic Tanks Collect Household Wastewater

Septic tanks aren’t just for toilet waste; all wastewater from household activities flows through pipes to the tank.

The tank is an underground watertight container, usually made of fiberglass, plastic or concrete. In the tank, solid waste sinks to the bottom, while oils and grease float to the top.

Bacteria Breaks Down Solid Waste in the Septic Tank

Anaerobic bacteria work to break down the solid waste over time. This is how the grease, oils and fats rise to the top.

The solid waste, or sludge, stays at the bottom of the tank, while the oils, or scum, rise to the top. The pipe that filters the remaining water out is low enough to prevent the scum from flowing out.

Wastewater Flows Into the Drainfield

The water flows into a drainfield, or leach field, which consists of a perforated pipe.

The water seeps out into the soil, where it’s filtered, removing harmful bacteria. The filtered water makes its way to streams, rivers or the local groundwater table.

Soil is an excellent medium for filtering wastewater. And when you properly install and maintain septic tanks, there’s no cause for concern. But that’s not always the case.

What Happens if Your Septic Tank Fails?

The consequences of improper septic tank installation and maintenance could be disastrous. Here are three major problems.

Septic Tanks and Disease Outbreaks

When you don’t correctly install septic systems, the wastewater doesn’t filter through the soil.

In some cases, the still-contaminated water leaches into aquifers. These aquifers provide water for wells that supply drinking water to homes and businesses.

In one unfortunate case in Wisconsin, a restaurant’s septic system failed. The wastewater leaked into the aquifer, contaminating the drinking water. Norovirus, a viral stomach bug, was the result: 229 diners and employees fell ill with it.

Toxic algae bloom

Septic Tanks and Harmful Algae Growth

Too many nutrients in groundwater can be a bad thing.

When phosphorus and nitrogen are abundant, they upset the nutrient balance in lakes and streams. They fertilize bacteria and algae, which then grow at alarming rates.

These algal blooms are toxic to humans and animals and can choke out other plant life.

Septic Tanks and Chemical Pollution

Soil acts as an excellent filter for the bacteria that live in wastewater, but it can’t filter out chemicals.

Medicines, cleaning products and other potentially toxic chemicals can leach from groundwater into lakes and streams. When fish and other wildlife drink the water, they can’t excrete the chemicals. These chemicals may cause cancer, respiratory problems and reproductive issues in wildlife.

These chemicals don’t merely cause health problems for humans and wildlife. They can upset the bacteria balance in your septic system. Antibiotics in particular can wipe out the bacteria your tank needs to keep breaking down solid waste.

That means a clogged tank for you. But that’s not the only reason a septic tank can back up.

Why Do Septic Tanks Get Clogged?

You might cite the lack of sewer bills as a perk to owning a septic system. But it’s important to factor in the cost of tank maintenance.

Trust us: You don’t just want to set it and forget it. You’ll have a huge bill on your hands when the system fails. That’s not to mention the environmental and health costs.

There are three main reasons your septic tank will clog.

Not Pumping Your Septic Tank Regularly

A septic tank can hold 750–1,250 gallons of water and waste. Eventually, you’ll need to have it pumped.

Experts recommend routine maintenance and pumping every 2–5 years.

Flushing the Wrong Things Down the Toilet

Septic systems are supposed to handle household waste, but not all waste.

In truth, your septic tank is delicate. It wants only the bare minimum of wastewater and byproducts to avoid clogging. Upsetting the balance by flushing wet wipes, feminine hygiene products and other nonbiodegradable waste results in big problems.

Even using standard toilet paper can harm your septic system.

Using the Wrong Toilet Paper

Traditional toilet paper is harmful to both the environment and your septic system.

It’s true that all toilet paper dissolves, but standard toilet paper dissolves slowly. That’s because the long fibers in toilet paper made from virgin trees don’t break down quickly.

And the chlorine manufacturers use in traditional toilet paper can upset the delicate balance of bacteria in your tank.

What’s the Best Toilet Paper for Septic Tanks?

You can’t just grab any standard toilet paper off the shelves when it comes to septic system health.

Traditional toilet paper made from trees can wreck your septic system. Use biodegradable toilet paper to get the best performance out of your tank.

Traditional Versus Biodegradable Toilet Paper

But wait: Isn’t all toilet paper biodegradable? Yes and no.

Have you ever been camping and had the misfortune of stumbling across globs of half-dissolved toilet paper? Gross. (As a standard rule, leave no trace.)

Even in a rainy environment, that toilet paper might be there for years. But biodegradable toilet paper breaks down up to 4 times faster than traditional toilet paper.

The fibers in biodegradable TP are shorter than those from virgin trees, so they dissolve faster in water.

That’s crucial for your septic system. It can only hold so much, and it needs to break down solid waste products to keep working.

How long it takes toilet paper to dissolve in a septic tank makes a huge difference in whether it’ll clog.

What Types of Toilet Paper Are Biodegradable?

You have options when it comes to choosing toilet paper that’ll break down fast in your septic tank. Here are their pros and cons.

Recycled Toilet Paper

Recycled toilet paper may immediately come to mind as a septic-friendly option:

Pros: It dissolves fast and is less harmful to the environment than traditional toilet paper.
Cons: It’s scratchy, might tear in your hands often undergoes chlorine processing.

Hemp Toilet Paper

Hemp toilet paper is another biodegradable option, but it has trade-offs:

Pros: It’s biodegradable and needs fewer chemicals for processing into tissue
Cons: It’s not as soft as bamboo, needs fertilizers to grow and isn’t as eco-friendly as bamboo toilet paper

Bamboo Toilet Paper

Sure, we’re biased, but bamboo toilet paper is by far the best option for your septic system:

Pros: It’s soft, biodegradable and your most eco-friendly choice. It generates 30% less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional toilet paper.
Cons: It requires shipping from China, where bamboo naturally grows. But don't worry: At Save Trees, we double offset the carbon footprint created in shipping our bamboo toilet paper

Is Bamboo Toilet Paper Septic-Safe?

So what’s the verdict? Yes, bamboo toilet paper is septic safe.

Biodegradable bamboo toilet paper is key to a healthy septic system, along with proper care and maintenance. It breaks down faster than traditional toilet paper, and reputable companies process it without chlorine

If you’ve maintained your septic tank well, you shouldn’t have any issues with bamboo toilet paper.

But how can you really tell if a toilet paper is septic-safe? Listen to the folks with septic tanks who’ve tried it:

Cloud Paper Customer Reviews

Soft, septic-safe and environmentally friendly? Sounds like a win to us.

What Else Can I Do to Keep My Septic Tank Healthy?

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. Your septic tank isn’t a one-and-done system. It requires care to prolong its lifespan, stay unclogged and prevent environmental harm.

Here are a few recommendations to help your septic tank function for years.

Schedule Regular Maintenance and Pumping

Plan and schedule maintenance, and have your septic tank pumped every 2–5 years.

A good inspector will determine whether your tank is up to code. They’ll also assess the condition of the tank and its pipes.

Use Natural Cleaning Products

Use biodegradable cleaning products; it’s just as important as toilet paper. Any cleaner that you flush or wash down your drains should be as natural as possible.

Try an eco-friendly cleaner like Blueland. It makes multipurpose kitchen and bathroom products that are sustainable and free of harmful chemicals.

Don’t Flush Anything Except Toilet Paper

This one is worth repeating: Don’t flush it if it’s not biodegradable toilet paper or human waste.

Here’s a longer list of things to keep out of your tank:

Oil, grease and fat from cooking
Coffee grounds
All chemicals (medication, paint solvents, motor oil, etc.)
Dental floss
Feminine hygiene products
Condoms
Diapers
Cat litter

Keeping your septic system maintained does more than save you headaches. It helps avoid environmental disasters, health problems and unfortunate, stinky accidents.

Use biodegradable toilet paper, such as bamboo, as a key part of septic tank care.

Show Your Septic System Some Love With Save Trees

Bamboo toilet paper is a godsend for septic systems, pipes and plumbing everywhere.

At Save Trees (formerly Cloud Paper), we also make bamboo TP good to your body and the planet.

Browse our shop for biodegradable, septic-safe bamboo toilet paper that we proudly make sustainably. Questions? Contact us: We’d love to hear from you.