This is a sensitive topic. Though a funny topic to talk about, when I mentioned this to others they say they’ve noticed similar behaviour. Is it wastefulness I want to talk about? Or excessive consumption? Maybe not really, but it’s certainly about people’s behaviour and I want to focus on one small particular aspect. In an earlier post I wrote about people renting my house shortterm while I was away on holiday. This worked well for me and all was OK in my house when I returned. What stuck out for me though, and this is the sensitive bit, is how much toilet paper was used. They went through rolls and rolls of toilet paper at what appeared to be a phenomenal rate. I really don’t want to think about why but it certainly disappeared quickly. Using lots of paper products seemed top of the list in my house, tissues and kitchen paper towel were also rapidly used up. Along similar lines is something else I notice when drying my hands in a public bathroom. I dry my hands, perfectly well, with one paper towel while so many people around me automatically pull out three paper towels and then proceed to dry their hands. Why the difference? Why does one paper towel work for one and a minimum of three work for another? It’s a behavioural thing, a habit, a belief system, and becomes an unconscious action. Can this behaviour be changed? And who wants to try? Even though it’s only a small thing, everything still adds up in today’s cost of living.
Living well on a shoestring 