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save a tree TP

mini holes in toilet paper/paper towels
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paper towels perforated with holes use less paper and absorb as much water as regular paper towels. (see kitchen experiment below) 2 ply toilet paper would have holes 1/16 -1/8"(?) in each ply, the layers put together so the holes do not match up. should be no difference in texture, but would not only use less paper, but less bulk would dissolve quicker in the sewage system And while we are at it: eliminate the cardboard roll at the center of the tp roll. save more trees, and no need to remove the cardboard from the rollers. With high- use bathrooms, as in airports, this would allow the replacement roll to slide down ready for action, without ripping the cardboard tube off.

paper towels: the kitchen experiment: one inch squares of paper towels- some squares with no holes, some with 10 holes 1/8" diameter; some with 10 holes 1/16" diameter; colored water, 5 drops in each depression of an escargot dish. put a paper square on top of water. result: the paper with the holes absorbed as much as the no-hole paper. does absorption take place on the surfaces only? is this what make a sponge so absorbent? "embossed" designs in the paper towels did not absorb colored water (too compressed to be absorbent?), so embossing wastes paper, because it takes more embossed paper to absorb the same amount of water as non-embossed paper. what about printed designs on paper towels? does that effect absorption?

mread, Nov 15 2005

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       I admit to being confused by this posting. Is this a proposal for an invention or a rehashing of a high-school lab project?
bristolz, Nov 15 2005
  

       "2 ply...layers put together so the holes do not match up"   

       whew, fishbone averted.
Zuzu, Nov 15 2005
  

       Stil a bit nervous about poo on fingers... but with such small holes, the user probably won't notice the difference and should be washing his/her hands anyway. +
moomintroll, Nov 15 2005
  

       /Stil a bit nervous about poo on fingers/   

       The story of my life.   

       Tear strength would be reduced, which may or may not be a problem, depending on how frenetically you choose to wipe.   

       Is absorbency the main function of toilet paper? I would argue that serviceable softness while maintaining reasonable strength is the real money-maker. Peppering the sheets with holes may be detrimental to the primary function.   

       Presumably the material removed by punching the holes is recovered and repulped?   

       Aside: how long until we see plastic cores replace cardboard ones?
Texticle, Nov 15 2005
  

       I used to buy toilet paper made from recycled paper. Was I the only one? They stopped selling it where I buy groceries. I think it was called Green Forest. I bought their paper towels also.
Zimmy, Nov 16 2005
  

       Punching holes in paper towels did not affect the amount of water absorbed? There must be some point at which as one increases the # of holes, water absorbtion begins to fall off.   

       I like this concept. I think it could be extended to make 4 or 5 ply tissues. With nonoverlapping holes it would use the same paper as 2 ply, but it should have superior tear resistance.   

       As re the no-core TP - if you are going to mount on a roller it makes sense. In fact, one could convert the fat roller to a roller spindle and spear a roll of coreless TP that was paper all the way down to the middle. More TP per roll / less wasted space.
bungston, Nov 16 2005
  

       have to save trees
po, Nov 19 2005
  

       // eliminate the cardboard roll at the center of the tp roll. save more trees, and no need to remove the cardboard from the rollers //   

       I've seen some toilet paper like that. I don't know why it hasn't taken over. I've also seen some that has the middle of the cardboard tube missing, so there are instead two short tubes, one at each end of the roll. I don't know what the advantages of that are.   

       // Aside: how long until we see plastic cores replace cardboard ones? //   

       Still hasn't happened as far as I've seen.   

       // I used to buy toilet paper made from recycled paper. //   

       Isn't it all? Isn't toilet paper one of the only good uses for end-of-life fibers that have been chopped too short for other uses by going through the recycling process several times?
notexactly, Mar 28 2019
  
      
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