Athenian Must Stop Wiping!
To uphold the environmentalism pillar, members of Athenian must stop wiping at once. Being one of Athenian’s six pillars, Athenian strives to uphold an environmentally friendly environment, which is reflected through morning meeting announcements about sorting trash correctly and having clubs such as the Green Team. However, Athenian can do more. By installing Japanese toilets in every bathroom, Athenians could significantly benefit both the environment and student life.
At first glance, one may believe that toilet paper creates little negative impact on the environment, however, we must take a second to look at the facts. Producing a single roll of toilet paper requires 37 gallons of water, 1.3 kWh of electricity, and 1.5 pounds of wood. Considering that Athenian has 374 upper school students, excluding the middle school and faculty, the amount of these materials necessary for production can be multiplied greatly. Additionally, there are transportation costs necessary to get the toilet rolls from the factory to our school, furthering the carbon footprint of our toilet paper. It is also worth noting that toilet paper contains PFAS, “forever chemicals” that are linked to a wide range of health problems, including cancer. In contrast, Japanese toilets offer a much more environmentally friendly and healthier option to clean our behinds. With the use of the bidet feature, a simple click of a button can significantly reduce all of these costs down to ⅛ of a gallon of water per cleaning.
In addition to the environmental and health benefits, installing Japanese toilets will also bring many quality-of-life changes that can enhance the Athenian bathroom experience. Instead of using rough paper to clean the user, which simply spreads germs around, warm or cold water is used to directly spray and sanitize any unclean areas. This warrants a more hygienic and hands-free cleaning experience, allowing students to return to class feeling clean, comfortable, and ready to learn. The installation of Japanese toilets will also help students save time and remove the pressure of how much class time they will lose from going to the bathroom during class. While cleaning yourself with toilet paper can be both time-consuming and unpredictable, the time to clean yourself using the bidet feature from the Japanese toilet is both quick and constant. For most people, simply a 30-60-second spray of water is enough to make themselves fully clean. A student's Japanese toilet experience will also be fully customizable. They will be able to adjust the water’s spray strength, adjust the temperature of the water, play ambient music while using the toilet, dry themselves off after using the bidet, and much more. One feature that stands out during these cold months is the heated seat option, offering warmth as opposed to the “shock” that many may feel from sitting down on a cold porcelain toilet seat. In favor of the environment, student health, and student life, it is necessary that Athenians gain access to Japanese toilets at once.
