# Why Aren't Toilets made of Plastic? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236 "2013-12-26T22:43:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236/41 "2014-01-03T19:46:51Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > You sit in a tub. You sit on a toilet. One needs a lot more strength than the other to support a person’s weight. I don’t understand the distinction. You sit _on_ the bottom of the tub, so clearly it needs to hold as much weight as the toilet does. It also needs to hold the weight of a lot of water. That said I don’t think plastic tubs are common either. Perhaps a plastic covering around a stronger structure. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236/42 "2014-01-04T05:11:06Z")
The weight might be distributed differently, especially since a tub will usually be filled with water. Also, do modern tubs actually hold anything off the floor, or do they sit flush with it and provide a water-tight container to keep the water off of the ceiling in the room below? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236/44 "2021-03-29T21:27:48Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > or do they sit flush with it and provide a water-tight container to keep the water off of the ceiling in the room below Depends. Your shower base will probably break if it’s not properly supported on sand or cement, but your tub will probably not break unless you dance around on it while it’s empty. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236/45 "2021-03-30T00:10:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Most? Most? > Most? Things happen when bathing babies… ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236/46 "2021-03-30T06:25:52Z")
nevermind. zombie ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236/47 "2021-03-30T06:32:39Z")
nevermind. zombie. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236/48 "2021-03-30T18:21:21Z")
My first thought also. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-toilets-made-of-plastic/677236.md?page=2)