A park Beijing, China has started a trial to try and save toilet paper and prevent thieves stealing it. Park officials have installed six facial recognition scanners the city's Temple Heaven Park. The machines will scan someone's face providing him or her with 60 cm toilet paper. That same person will then have to wait nine minutes if they want extra paper. A park spokesman said there was a problem visitors to the toilets taking too much toilet paper. He said some people came and filled their bags it. The park had put posters and broadcast messages loudspeakers asking visitors to use less toilet paper.
The new facial recognition scanners have brought a surprise. They have become a tourist attraction. Visitors are now coming to look and try the machines. Videos of people pulling strips toilet paper the machines have gone viral social media sites. Staff are available to help people problems using the machines or people who urgently need more toilet paper. The scanners seem to be popular. A user the Chinese social media site Weibo commented: "This is a really good idea. I recommend that it be rolled in toilets nationwide." The trial appears to be successful so far. The daily amount toilet paper used the park's toilets has gone down 20 per cent.
