Around 1500, as paper became more common in Europe, old manuscripts, newspapers, and printed pages were repurposed for personal cleansing, marking the European adoption of paper scraps for hygiene. This practice reflected changing attitudes towards cleanliness and resourcefulness in a time of increasing literacy and printing. The use of paper for hygiene purposes highlights the intersection of culture, technology, and daily life during the Renaissance.

The European adoption of paper scraps for hygiene in 1500 ironically linked literary waste to bodily use, inspiring satirical poetry. Poets like François Villon used this theme to critique societal norms and the impermanence of language, reflecting on the recycling of words.