Key Points to Consider When Choosing Toilet Paper

From my school days to working after graduation, and now as an entrepreneur working from home, I’ve used many types of toilet paper over the years.

The market offers a wide variety—rolled, boxed, or pocket-sized; wide, narrow, or extra-large; white, yellow, or dark brown. But what do these differences actually mean?

Based on my experience, regardless of size or color, you only need to focus on one "material" and two "standards" to make a safe choice.

Here’s how to pick with confidence:

1. Material

Toilet paper can be made from different raw materials: virgin pulp, wood pulp, cotton pulp, straw pulp, bamboo pulp, or recycled waste paper pulp. What’s the difference?

Virgin Pulp: Made from pure, unused raw materials. If it’s specifically from wood chips, it’s called virgin wood pulp. Soft and highly absorbent, it’s a premium material. However, it consumes a lot of wood and causes significant water pollution. In China, virgin pulp is typically imported.

·100% Virgin Wood Pulp: This can be made from either new wood or recycled pulp. If you see "100% pure wood pulp" at a very low price, it likely contains recycled material.

·Bamboo Pulp: Made from bamboo varieties like moso bamboo, often used for cultural or writing paper.

·Recycled Pulp: Made from waste paper, old newspapers, etc. It has higher bacterial content and is the lowest-quality material.

·During production, some papers are bleached or treated with lime water, which is permitted under national standards. Reputable manufacturers ensure additives remain within safe limits.

Recently, unbleached yellow or brown paper has been marketed as "natural" and eco-friendly. However, color alone doesn’t guarantee safety—it depends on the source material.

·2. Standards

In daily life, two common hygiene standards apply: GB20808 and GB20810. These differ in bacterial count and durability.

·GB20808 (Facial Tissue Standard): Used for napkins and facial tissues. Bacterial count must be below 200 CFU/g. Designed for face or mouth use, these are softer and more durable—some can even serve as wet wipes.

·GB20810 (Toilet Paper Standard): Bacterial count must be below 600 CFU/g. Intended for bathroom use, it’s more absorbent and breaks apart easily to prevent toilet clogs. However, it’s less comfortable for wiping sweat due to roughness.

Toilet paper is graded into four levels: Premium, First-Class, Qualified, and Unqualified.

3. Hygiene Standards

Both types follow GB15979 (Hygienic Standard for Disposable Sanitary Products).

Toilet paper (e.g., rolls, bathroom tissue) may contain recycled materials or optical brighteners—as long as levels are safe, whitened paper is fine.

Facial tissues (e.g., napkins, pocket tissues) have stricter requirements and cannot contain optical brighteners.

Categories of Toilet Paper

·By Use: Facial tissues, napkins, kitchen towels, bathroom tissue.

·By Form: Rolls, soft packs, boxed tissues, pocket tissues.

Buying Tips

Aside from specialty products like kitchen oil-absorbing paper, daily-use paper falls into two main types:

1. Facial Tissue (GB20808)

·Safe for mouth/face use.

·No harmful additives like optical brighteners.

·Soft and durable.

2. Toilet Paper (GB20810)

·Contains permitted additives.

·Soft but designed to disintegrate easily.

Grade: Avoid "Unqualified." Higher grades (Premium/First-Class) are better but pricier.