College Student Working To Create Dissolvable 'Non-Clogging' Toilet Paper By Year's End

Toilet paper is back in the news, but this time its not about a shortage. It's because a college student is working to develop a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and dissolvable toilet paper.

University of Arizona sophomore Kunal Shamdasani says he came up with the idea during a flight from his home in India, CBS affiliate KOLD reports.

"I first noticed the problem when in my home country an airplane had to land as all toilets were clogged owing to the toilet paper," he remembers.

Shamdasani took his idea to the Tech Launch Arizona Student Innovation Challenge where he was named a finalist.

Shamdasani says he's currently looking into different materials and working with UA faculty, researchers and staff to create a prototype for businesses, starting with airline companies.

"The people I have interacted with have been kind in donating their time and it feels great to have such accomplished professionals backing me in a project I deem important," he said. "Their guidance is not only appreciated but needed to make sure the idea reaches its potential."

While developing and testing new products is challenging in a mostly virtual world because of the coronavirus pandemic, Shamdasani says the goal is to create a dissolvable "non-clogging" toilet paper by the end of the year.

"First of all this is going to be cost-effective to you. Secondly, it's not going to clog your toilets. So, it's the easiest way to make sure you don't have clogged toilets in the future to use this toilet paper," he told KOLD.