Fold, Srunch or Wrap... How Do Brits Use Their Toilet Paper?

It’s a debate as old as time, or at least as modern plumbing: do you fold, scrunch, or wrap your toilet paper? Every one uses it, and every one needs it, so how are we using it or most particularly, how are we supposed to use it?

To get the answers on Brit’s toilet roll tales, we have conducted a nationwide survey to settle these age-old bathroom habits once and for all. 

The nation’s toilet paper habits unravelled

 To fold, scrunch, or wrap? It’s a surprisingly hot topic!

 Our survey found that almost three-quarters (73.4%) of Brits are ‘folders’, 15.2% opt for the ‘scrunch’ method, and just 11% wrap it around their hand. Props to the folders who prefer a neat and structured approach! 

Loo roll placement: do Brits prefer over or under?

The toilet roll holder is a bathroom essential, but opinions on how to hang the roll are divided. Our survey found that most Brits prefer their toilet roll to hang over (63.7%), while only 11.7% prefer the under method, and almost a quarter (24.6%) aren’t particular about how their toilet paper sits. 

The environmental impact of toilet usage

 Brits go through a staggering amount of toilet paper! There are 69,436,124 [1] people in the UK, and the average person visits the bathroom up to seven times a day [2], that adds up to an enormous amount of loo roll being used daily.  

So, how much toilet paper are Brits using per visit? Almost half of Brits use 6-10 sheets (47.10%), 32.60% are using 1-5 sheets, and 13.50% use 11-15 sheets of toilet paper.

For Brits using 16 sheets and more? You’re looking at 6.80% of the population. That’s equivalent to over 4 million people (4,721,656), just over the entire population of Panama [3].  

Using these figures, we have estimated just how much toilet paper the UK is flushing away - and how we can cut down on waste.

If the average Brit uses 8 sheets (6-10) of toilet paper per visit, and the average visit to the bathroom happens multiple times a day - almost 3.9 billion sheets of toilet paper is used per day. Stretching to 249,750 miles long; that’s enough to wrap around the Earth almost 10 times!  

With the amount of toilet paper used daily, the UK could be responsible for cutting down around 86 trees every day. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Cutting down on toilet paper waste, one sheet at a time

Alex Woods, bathroom expert at Victorian Plumbing has shared comments on how you can cut down on toilet paper usage:

1. Go eco-friendly

 “There are great eco-friendly options on the market, so why not try them? Whilst toilet paper is generally biodegradable because it's made from natural materials like wood pulp, the decomposition time can vary. Opting for an eco-friendly loo roll, made from recycled materials or bamboo, will decompose faster than traditional toilet paper, reducing environmental impact."

2. Quality over quantity

 “Opting for higher quality toilet paper may seem like a small change, but it can significantly reduce overall usage. Stronger, more absorbent toilet paper means you’ll need fewer sheets per visit to get the job done effectively. While budget-friendly, thin toilet paper might seem like a good deal, it often requires using more sheets at a time, leading to faster depletion and more waste.”

3. Kids could be the culprit!

 “It’s more than likely that kids are less informed on the overconsumption of toilet paper and the damaging environmental impact it could have. Implement a visual cue, such as a designated ‘two or three squares’ limit on each roll. You can use fun markers or stickers on the roll to show them how much they should use.”

Methodology

OnePoll was used to survey 1,000 UK-represented participants from Thursday 20th March - Friday 21st March 2025.

The UK population is currently at 69,436,124 [1] people. On average, in the UK, one person uses 8 sheets (6-10 sheets) of toilet paper per visit, and visits the bathroom seven times per day - this equates to almost 3.9 billion sheets of toilet paper being used per day.

The full data set, including toilet paper consumption methodology, is available upon request.

Sources

[1] UK population stat

[2] Bathroom frequency usage stat

[3] Population of Panama stat