CM Bottcher Announces Toilet Paper Ban On April Fools Day

MIDTOWN/HELL'S KITCHEN — A Hell's Kitchen/West Village rep's idea to ban all single-use paper products was apparently part of a now-annual April Fools joke from Council Member Erik Bottcher's office.

Bottcher said on April 1 that he planned to introduce legislation to ban all single-use paper products, including paper towels, napkins, tissues and toilet paper.

“If anyone can pull this off, it’s New Yorkers,” said New York City Council Member Bottcher. “I don’t know about you, but my dream is to live in a world where people look at a roll of toilet paper and say, ‘What is that?’”

In the Fool's Day announcement, Bottcher said that there would be an immediate ban on two-ply toilet paper, followed by a ban on single-ply in one year.

We are banning toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex, and other single-use paper products in New York City. 🧻 🚫

If anyone can pull this off, it’s New Yorkers!https://t.co/gpshuimGcu pic.twitter.com/uBTrAv2hlq
— Erik Bottcher (@ebottcher) April 1, 2023

The announcement was made with support from totally real supporters, like Scottie Cotton, president of the Coalition Against Kleenex, who said “I prefer to think of it as bringing back handkerchiefs."

“Humanity survived for thousands of years without toilet paper,” said another assuredly real person, Anita Dolly from the American Textile Institute. “Arguably, people were happier back then. In a time of great division in our country, I hope this legislation is something we can all agree on.”

Last year, Bottcher similarly made an April Fools joke restricting vehicle use in Manhattan to golf-carts only. And like last year, most people got the joke. But some fell for it and criticized the elected official for his bottoms-up proposal.

"Imagine if this bill is passed," said one user on Twitter. "Just when you think NY can't get anymore gross."

"This is the nail in the coffin for freedom," wrote another.

But other hurled accusations of the Council Member being bought and paid for by "Big Bidet."

"Will there be any incentive TPs (Transition Programs) for New Yorkers to switch to bidets?" asked a Twitter user.

Many, while recognizing the joke, actually said the idea isn't all that bad.

"It is actually not a bad idea to reduce the use of these, at least at home. Family cloth, handkerchiefs, fabric napkins work better and save trees," said a Twitter user.

Local news site, W42ST, ran a whole story based on the joke's premise in their own April Fool's Day story, replete with apocalyptic scenes from the 10th Avenue Target.