Foundation's free toilet paper scheme flushed with success

A woman walks into a unisex public restroom in Chongqing on April 15, 2015.[Photo/CFP]

A special research center focusing on toilet culture was founded on Thursday, World Toilet Day.

The center, which has not yet published detailed projects, was co-founded by the China Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University, the Yuting Foundation and the World Toilet Organization.

The Yuting Foundation at Kunshan, eastern China's Jiangsu province, has been putting forward a plan of providing free toilet paper for primary schools, calling for attention to be paid to China's toilet problems.

The program has so far benefited 45 primary schools in cities such as Beijing in northern China, Guangzhou in southern China and Yushu in western China, providing toilet paper for more than 100,000 students and teachers.

Next year the Yuting Foundation will expand the number of funded primary schools to 200. It will spread the information via social mobile application WeChat, websites, newspapers, and other media, inviting schools around China to apply.

The Yuting Foundation said the program will cover more areas in China and not only schools but also more residents can benefit.

In recent years, many programs about free toilet paper have started but were forced to end. In a trial toilet in Jingan district, Shanghai, people often take too much just because it's free.

“Free toilet paper causes waste,” a toilet cleaner said, adding that some people even steal the whole roll.

Statistics shows that on average, a length of 1.6 meters' free toilet is used per person at the trial toilets, which is longer than average home use.

The problem exists in western countries, too. It's said that in the US, some free toilet paper is colored, so that people will be embarrassed if they take away too much.