| "This is not no regular toilet bowl," gushes DJ Khaled on Instagram, fawning over a new toilet that rapper Drake sent to his home. "This is the most amazing toilet bowl I ever seen in my life." Designed by the Japanese company Toto and listed for more than $21,000, it features a remote control, heated seat, deodorizer, night light and, as DJ Khaled says enthusiastically, "water that splashes up" after you're done. In other words, it's a very pricey bidet. Khaled's paean may be the high-water mark of the bidet's profile in American pop culture — so far. Once viewed as an overseas oddity, the bathroom fixture has exploded in popularity in the United States. Retailers report sales leaping tenfold during the pandemic, and remaining strong. The vast majority of Americans still exclusively use toilet paper, though. For many, the bidet remains a fusty porcelain basin vaguely associated with the French. But the technology has evolved. Multibillion-dollar incumbents like Toto, as well as newcomers such as Tushy and Luxe, have stormed the U.S. market, along with a flood of cut-rate manufacturers on Amazon. Bidets that promise to work with almost any toilet are now within reach of every American: Simple versions can be had for just $30. For the world's northern forests, that's great news. The pines, birches and aspens that fringe the Northern Hemisphere are a primary source of virgin pulp to make toilet paper, particularly older, mature trees with longer fibers that manufacturers want to create an ultrasoft texture. And no one buys more TP than Americans. The typical person in the United States uses about 24 rolls of toilet paper per year. That's roughly three times more than Europeans — and among the highest per capita consumption of any country. Were the country to switch to bidets, millions of trees would probably remain standing every year. I bought one in 2019 and never looked back. But can bidets persuade Americans to set aside their rolls of Charmin Ultra Soft Cushiony Touch? It's an easier sell than you think. Read the full column. | 
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