China’s Smart Toilets Trade Ads for Toilet Paper

In a new effort to cut costs and curb paper waste, several public toilets across China have introduced a facial-recognition and advertisement-based system that requires users to watch short digital ads before receiving toilet paper.

The initiative, which has been rolled out in select parks and transport hubs in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai, combines smart dispensers with advertising screens. Users stand in front of the device, view a 10–15 second advertisement, and then receive a limited amount of paper , typically about 60 to 80 centimetres per scan.

The technology is part of a broader campaign to reduce resource waste and modernise public facilities. The system also serves as a new avenue for digital advertising, allowing companies to reach consumers in unconventional spaces.

A Beijing municipal official told local media that the program aims to “encourage responsible use of public resources while supporting innovation in service delivery.”

However, public reaction has been mixed. Some residents have praised the move as a “smart and eco-friendly” innovation, while others have criticised it as invasive and inconvenient, raising concerns over privacy and data collection from facial-recognition systems.

The idea is not entirely new — similar toilet paper rationing systems were first introduced in Beijing’s Temple of Heaven Park in 2017, after reports of excessive paper theft. The new generation of dispensers expands on that concept by integrating commercial advertising to help offset maintenance costs.

Technology analysts say the model could mark the start of a growing trend where public utilities double as digital ad platforms, blending civic management with corporate sponsorship.

As China continues to promote “smart city” technologies, the humble toilet paper dispenser has now become an unexpected symbol of the country’s push toward efficiency and monetization,  in everyday life.