Biodegradable TP

Is biodegradable TP really, truly, biodegradable? Or is it only biodegradable in the sense that everything is biodegradable if you wait long enough (decades)?

Assuming the park you go to doesn't require you to pack everything out, would you feel comfortable burying biodegradable TP in a cathole?

RV and camping tp is advertised as breaking down more readily than regular tp. I've never tested it though, and am unsure what a convincing test would be. Maybe throw some in a compost pile an check on it evey few days?

I have done gobs of reading past posts here and on the other light backpacking site and from what I gather, no. One guy did a 21 day test with some since that is what it said on his package, he dug it up and it was just as it was when he buried it. The consensus is that if you pour water into the cathole and stir everything around, this truly speeds up decomposition.

Don't know what you know or don't know; but the big thing about burying it, is that animals will dig it up and drag the TP out of the hole.

So, no, I wouldn't bury it, and ruin someones else's hiking experience by having to see toilet paper scattered all over the woods. I have actually seen this.

That's why I pack it all out!

OK, thanks. I'm always skeptical of biodegradable claims. I'm reminded of the "biodegradable" garbage bags which were indeed biodegradable, but only if the bags were exposed to constant sunlight for 100 years (not much chance of that happening in a landfill).

We always buy "approved for septic tank" TP so that's what I take camping.

Conditions will always dictate how long it takes the stuff to break down, because the process requires microorganisms. The Cascade foothills and the high Bolivian deserts--to pick two contrasting environments--will have different decay rates. It will decay, could take weeks, could take years.

Cheers,

It really depends on where you bury it. I'm sure that anywhere in Missouri standard old toilet paper will degrade pretty fast.

For the record, I have never seen a cat hole dug up by critters here, and I seldom see TP that hikers or backpackers have left behind (almost never). I have seen TP and waste left on top of the ground by car campers, but it was always pretty fresh and it breaks down fast.

Actually the key is exposing it to air. They have dug up land fills where the air was sealed off and they could read 50 year old newspapers. If you look at tissues thrown along the road you see them pretty well gone after a rain and a few days of sun.

Exactly, but we don't bury it under tons of feet deep compressed refuse. If you can dig a cat hole more than 3-4 inches deep here you've hit dirt with a market value

Really, burying it shallow and covering it loosely is giving it opportunities to break down very quickly, and it prevents others from stepping in it. Here, done right you'll never find it and it will all be gone quickly.

I think you must be right. At the trailhead [Berryman], the NFS had a poster up which instructed hikers to bury TP along with human waste in a 6 inch cathole. I'm glad I don't have to pack it out! (although I didn't have the "opportunity" to use TP in my trip this weekend).

I've heard of people carrying yeast powder. This they sprinkle in the used hole to speed up the breakdown process. No idea if this works or just makes them feel better.

No need to carry anything like yeast powder or other bacteria substances. What really speeds the composting process is simple sugar! Spray a spoonful with the waste, and the process speeds up like magic. I use it in my compost bin when winter is too hard, works good, quite inexpensive and something you may have with you on tour anyway.
Otto

Hi all! I live in an RV and can tell you that the TP for my balck water tank will degrade over time, but not in a few days. It's paper based after all. If you want to ensure it degrades after burial, you'd need to take a small bottle of enzymic treatment chemicals. These are generally "green" and will degrade quickly in soil without contaminating it. It'll break the paper down as well. Just squirt a bit in the hole (or on the err..umm.."pile") when you're done and it'll break down not only the paper, but the waste as well. I take both.

This is a bad idea. please don't lug a pack of septic tank chemicals to add into the backcountry. The solution to "you are leaving stuff in the wilderness" is not "add more stuff". you do *not* need to add more stuff to your pile. In normal conditions it'll do just fine all on it's own. In more sensitive areas or high alpine you may need to burn it or pack it out depending on the area (rules, and common sense..)

Phat, do you know this is a bad idea? I believe what he is talking about bringing is just an enzymatic solution. As far as I know it does not contain harmful chemical... just bacteria that break down waste solids. It actually doesn't sound like that bad of an idea to me. The quicker you break down waste the less detrimental it will be. Certainly follow all applicable rules for the area you are in, but maybe this could become a rule for the future.

Phat...BZH is right. With the new RV addins, they are pure enzymes to break down waste. Given a 2-4 oz "dose" will treat a 40 gallon holding tank, I'm not talking about using a huge amount. just a few drops and it's set.

Yeah, I don't think those enzymes are harmful, but here, in the mid-west, they aren't really necessary if you bury your stuff properly. They might help out west though, where it's dryer, but I'm not at all sure about that either because it might take some moisture to get them working.

Burn or pack your TP...