Just about every one of us has, at some time, co-habitated with one or more roommates/flatmates/housemates. Sharing dwelling space means sharing bathroom space, and it’s within those confines that relationship strain can take root. In a coed situation, the toilet seat “problem” is a big one. Should it stay up? Should it stay down? Who’s to say?

Georgia-Pacific is recognizing the used-up toilet paper tube as one of these bathroom-born tensions worth mention by introducing the industry’s first flushable toilet paper core. Citing a research study that indicated “more than 70% of people state it’s always them having to clean up the core and change the toilet roll,” GP has released the Aqua Tube — a biodegradable, fully flushable TP tube — onto the European market.

I have mixed feelings about this latest “innovation.” I understand the frustration that comes with always being the person changing out the used-up tube for a fresh roll of toilet paper. But being able to flush the tube down the toilet does nothing to lesson one’s responsibility — the tube still needs to be replaced. So flush it, throw it away or recycle it; a new tube is still getting unwrapped and put into place.

I’ll give points for the biodegradability of the Aqua Flush, and I hope that claim is truthful.

I do have to call into question the findings of the research study. 70% of people are “always having to clean up the core and change the toilet roll?” I think that statistic can only actually be true if 70% of the population lived alone. Is my logic off? Weigh in, mathematicians…

Georgia-Pacific