UA student working to create ‘non-clogging’ toilet paper

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Toilet paper isn’t something many people think about until we either need it, we’re out of it or as many people saw this spring, it was nowhere to be found.

But for University of Arizona sophomore Kunal Shamdasani a flight from his home in India gave him the inspiration to come up with the award-winning idea.

The inspiration struck when an airplane had to make an emergency landing because the toilets had become clogged.

Shamdasani took his idea, then entered the Tech Launch Arizona Student Innovation Challenge where he quickly captured the attention of the Student Innovation Team and was named a finalist for his cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and dissolvable toilet paper idea.

Right now, a lot about this project is under wraps, but Shamdasani said he’s been working with experts at the university for the last month to figure out how to get this paper to actually dissolve while still working.

The goal is for it to look the same and still offer a sense of comfort, but to also provide a better option for consumers.

“First of all, this is going to be cost-effective for 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,” Shamdasani said.

Shamdasani added that he’s currently focused on creating a prototype, then distributing it to businesses, starting with airline companies.

Right now, he’s working with different departments at the U of A and testing different materials.

The only problem they’ve run into so far is that testing things has been difficult in this new virtual world.

Their goal though is to create “non-clogging” toilet paper by the end of the school year.

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