Charging for using public toilets is not a new idea: many countries charge an entrance fee so that people can—literally—spend a penny.
But public toilets in China have taken this concept to a new level.
Anti-consumption Reddit users have called the move “dystopian”: Some public toilets in China are forcing users to watch ads to gain access to toilet paper.
A video published by China Insider shows a person scanning a QR code on a toilet paper dispenser and watching a short advertisement before being given several squares of paper.
If this amount of paper is not enough or you do not want to watch the advertisements, you can pay 0.5 yuan (about 5 pence) to skip the advertisements.
The system is said to reduce waste, with authorities suggesting some people were taking excessive amounts of free toilet paper.
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However, the move has been heavily criticised, with many saying they would simply bring their own wipes in case they needed to use a public restroom in China.
Plus, there could be hygiene issues if someone needs to use the restroom but their phone runs out of battery or change.
This is not the first time China has restricted the use of toilet paper in public restrooms.
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Back in 2017, toilet paper dispensers with built-in facial recognition software were installed in public restrooms at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing.
Authorities say the landmark is regularly visited by people who fill their bags with toilet paper and take it home with them.
The new machines dispensed a strip of toilet paper about 60 cm long and did not dispense it to the same person for nine minutes.
However, the park had to clarify that if someone had diarrhea or another urgent need for toilet paper, a staff member would provide it directly to them—which would not be at all humiliating or awkward.
Sourse: metro.co.uk
