(BPT) – From organic bedding to reusable produce bags, there is no shortage of useful, sustainable products made in the United States. You may strive to use these products every day so you can feel good about making a difference for Mother Earth. However, there are many things you use daily that you may not even know can be made sustainably, like your toilet seat.
Think about it: There is one product you use every day that touches your skin in a very direct way and it’s your toilet seat. As you add sustainably made products to your home, make sure to consider your toilet seat, too.
Traditional toilet seats
Most toilet seats are made from wood or plastic, or a combination of the two. Many plastic toilet seats are made from a material called polypropylene, a low-density plastic that is resilient and resists breaking. Other options are made from wood, oftentimes with an enamel coating to protect the wood, provide a smooth surface and a white or cream color.
Many toilet seat manufacturers do not use sustainable practices to reduce waste. Plastic does not decompose and wood may be sourced from forests, causing more trees to be cut down. Additionally, if the toilet seats are produced overseas, this impacts overall carbon output due to the transportation necessary to get the product to the U.S. and distributed to stores.
Eco-friendly toilet seats
Many people are surprised to learn that there are sustainably made toilet seats available and by making this simple choice you’re helping protect the plant. For example, Bemis enameled wood toilet seats like the Weston model are made in the U.S. with eco-friendly processes that respect the environment and leave a forest of trees standing.
How does this happen? Each year the company sources 70 million pounds of scrap wood from Wisconsin window and door manufacturers for use in their products. They also collect 3 million pounds of scrap and 1.5 million pounds of airborne dust from their molding operations. This is ground and blended into wood flour, the main material in their enameled wood seats. Each seat is painted with water-based paint and packaged in recycled and recyclable packaging.
Bemis also purchases over 2.5 million pounds of plastic regrind to incorporate into their durable plastic toilet seats. This innovative process saves 550,000 pounds of waste plastic per year from being landfilled. Going green doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or quality. Each Bemis sustainably made toilet seat is durable, warmer to the touch than alternatives and designed to be complementary to many decor styles. Learn more at ToiletSeats.com.