Tips for choosing environmentally friendly and healthier wipes & bull; hello healthy

As a wise consumer, you certainly want to choose the best products that are safe for your family in the short and long term. Maybe one of the products that you often buy and need to have available at home is a tissue. Tissue has indeed become a daily necessity that is inherent in every family. However, are you sure that the wipes that are used daily do not endanger health or the environment? Many wipes on the market today contain a variety of hazardous chemicals that are not only a risk to health, but also cannot be broken down or recycled after becoming waste. So, please immediately check below whether the tissue you choose is guaranteed quality.

The chemicals contained in the tissue

There are various types of wipes available on the market today. Before buying, pay attention to the tissue ingredients listed on the packaging. Most manufacturers will list that the wipes are made from 100% natural fiber. This means that the product is made from new fiber or wood pulp, not recycled products. The following are hazardous chemicals that may be contained in tissue products, whether it's facial tissue, eating tissue, or toilet paper that you usually buy.

Chlorine bleach

Many wipes sold contain bleach made from the chemical chlorine and its derivatives. This tissue staining process will release dioxins and furans. Both are substances that are carcinogenic (cause cancer) and mutagenic (cause DNA mutations). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dioxins are toxic substances that are harmful to health. If humans are contaminated with this substance, in the short term you are at risk of developing skin lesions and impaired liver function. Meanwhile, in the long term, dioxins can cause disorders of the immune system, reproductive system, endocrine system, and nervous system.

Experts from WHO stated that the dioxin content in tissue is usually only a little so that the possibility of triggering various health problems that have been mentioned above is small. This statement was also supported by dr. Yenny Meliana from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Chemical Research Center. According to dr. Yenny Meliana, Ministry of Health always monitors and tests the tissue that is sold freely in the market. So if the tissue you buy does contain dioxins, the levels are still relatively safe for health.

Heavy metal

Be careful if you buy tissue made from recycled paper or cardboard. Used materials used to process tissue usually contain various types of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. Contamination with these heavy metal substances has the risk of causing damage to the human brain and nervous system. The problem is, this heavy metal is not only found in tissue paper. The foods you consume on a daily basis, such as fish and meat, are also potentially contaminated with heavy metals. In fact, too much exposure to heavy metals can also have side effects on health in the form of reproductive problems, especially in women and digestive problems.

Bisphenol-A (BPA)

In this type of recycled tissue, bisphenol-A (BPA) is often found which has the potential to cause various health problems. BPA is found on certain types of paper that are used when printing receipts or cinema tickets. Inks used to print newspapers or magazines also contain BPA. If these materials are reprocessed to produce tissue, these chemicals will still stick to the product you buy.

Without realizing it, BPA can cause various problems in the metabolic system. People whose urine shows high levels of BPA are also found to have metabolic-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. In addition, BPA is also believed to cause brain and nerve function disorders that lead to behavioral disorders in children.

The impact of tissue waste on the environment

The chemicals mentioned above will not break down or decompose after you use and dispose of the tissue. In many cases, the tissue with a high toxic content will be disposed of as waste and pollute the environment. Because the handling of waste around the world is not completely guaranteed, toxic waste still frequently pollutes rivers, seas and land.

As a result, animals that live in an environment that has been contaminated with these chemicals will also be contaminated and even die. Without you knowing, maybe the fish, shrimp, beef, or vegetable plants that you consume daily also contain toxins from waste. This increases the risk of toxins and harmful chemicals in your body.

In addition, wipes that contain too many chemical additives are also more difficult to break down. As a result, more and more waste has accumulated and spread everywhere. This will accelerate the process of global warming due to unbalanced ecosystem conditions.

Choose wipes that are safe and environmentally friendly

Therefore, be careful in choosing wipes that are safe for your family. Even though it looks environmentally friendly, recycled tissue actually endangers health and the environment. They tend to be cheaper, but the risks they pose are not worth it for your future children and grandchildren. Avoid buying tissue that has not received a distribution permit from the Ministry of Health (Depkes RI). Usually the distribution permit number from the Indonesian Ministry of Health is listed on the packaging. Generally, wipes that already have a distribution license are those made from 100% natural fibers that are free of BPA, heavy metals, or chlorine. Others use a lower quality fiber blend, usually containing only 50% natural fiber. So, always pay attention to the information printed on the packaging.

To reduce waste, choose a tissue with a packaging that is not excessive. As much as possible, buy a large quantity of tissue in one package so that you don't waste too much of the rest of the package. Also reduce the daily use of tissues. After washing your hands, dry your hands with a dry towel or READ ALSO: Washing your hands is good, but this is the result if too often, if available.