Lifestyle Change: Recycled Tissue Products

A few months ago I made a commitment to myself to only buy 100% recycled toilet tissue, facial tissues, and paper towels. With the exception of one box of Kleenex purchased in haste at Walgreens when I had a bad cold, I’ve made good on that promise.

For the most part it’s meant remembering to buy tissue products when I’m at Whole Foods where they sell the recycled stuff rather then just stepping out to the corner store where all I can get is virgin fiber tissue. It’s not been a difficult transition, and I saw the other day that even the corner store is now selling 100% recycled paper towels.

The brand I’ve been buying the most is Seventh Generation, and I’ve found their products to be a good replacement. I never really knew how much virgin fiber was used in tissue products, but all the major brands until I heard an NRDC representative speak at a conference. Kleenex, Puffs, Charmin, Cottonelle, Bounty, Scott, and Viva all use virgin fiber in their tissue products – I’m avoiding these brands at all costs.

This may sound crazy, but if every household in the U.S. replaced just one box of 85 sheet virgin fiber facial tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save:

  • 87,700 trees
  • 226,500 cubic feet of landfill space, equal to 330 full garbage trucks
  • 31 million gallons of water, a year’s supply for 240 families
  • And avoid 5,300 pounds of pollution

The numbers are even higher for one roll of toilet paper (500 sheet roll-423,900 trees) or paper towels (70 sheet roll-544,000 trees), imagine how many trees would be saved if everyone began to shop for recycled tissue products.

What are the other trade-offs? The one that’s most important to talk about is softness. The recycled stuff just isn’t as soft as the virgin fiber – why this is I’m not sure, but the big paper companies will tell you this is the number one criteria you and I have for our tissue products and why they do not include any recycled content.

My feeling is that there is a difference between “as soft as possible” and “soft enough.” After several months of use of 100% recycled tissue products, I’m here to report that I’ve suffered no lasting ill effects due to a lack of softness. Even my girlfriend who complained for the first five or six rolls is now on board and making sure we get the recycled stuff.

For more information on what brands to look for as well as more facts on the impact of tissue products, please check out the NRDC web site. They also have this handy wallet card you can print out and take shopping with you.

8 thoughts on “Lifestyle Change: Recycled Tissue Products”

  1. Boy! Just educate me a little, and I’m onboard! Who knew such as small shift would mean so much?

    Count me in – and thanks!

  2. You might want to avoid any Kleenex in the future. Kleenex is manufactured by Tissue Giant Kimberly-Clark which has been implicated in the destruction of ancient forest in the Boreal in Canada and old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada.

    If there was any company you would want to avoid its this one. Find out more at http://www.stopkleenex.com

  3. It was becoming somewhat crazy to think I would have to drive some distance in some regions of the country to purchase recycled paper products. Kimberly-Clark own the shelves in major grocery chains. Recently, I ran across a brand called Earthfirst which were selling both toilet tissues and paper towels in the local Vons market. People will need to get active with their local stores and request the kinds of products they wish to support with their dollars.
    And if you want to see the types of public relations “crap” that money can buy, try writing a letter to Kimberly-Clark thru their web site letting them know your concern in what they are doing to the environment. I will leave the comments of their reply, up to you to find out.

  4. Try to only use recycled tissue myself. Have experienced similiar difficulties to yourself in finding stockist, but absolutely agree if we all persist change will follow.

  5. Hello everyone.

    Kleenex is a sin and so are all the Cottonelles (contains NO cotton), Angel Soft, Charmin, etc… they are all using virgin fibers utilized through Airlaid, Double Recrepe (DRC) or TAD (through air dried) techniques.

    Recycled is not only better for the environment but also costs less to manufacture. The problem the industry is experiencing now is that the majority of our waste paper is being exported to China, the energy surge we’re going through, plus the closure of several older paper mills are causing the prices of parent rolls to skyrocket. (parent rolls are what are put on the converting equipment when they make bath tissue, napkins, etc…)

    Not only is it better for the environment but also economical sense NOT to buy from a grocery store. You’re overcharged (paying slotting fees, rebates, etc…) but the rolls also contain significantly less paper than what is found on a typical 2ply 500 count bath tissue roll… which is affected by the 2nd most expensive aspect of tissue making… the logistics… the end goal for the consumer should be 100% recycled with a high post consumer content plus AS MUCH paper on a roll as possible. Take a look at the super market next time… look how squishy and airy the rolls are. It’s terrible.

    Anyway, check out either http://TissueDepot.com or http://PurelyCotton.com.

    TissueDepot.com will sell you 100% recycled commercial products direct to your door.

    PurelyCotton.com sells the ONLY 100% pure COTTON facial and bath tissue. It’s made from the cotton linters which is a recovered resource in the cotton harvesting process. It’s hypo-allergenic, virtually lint free and easier on the skin.

    Thanks for the brief soapbox. If anyone has any questions just email me: adamp@purelycotton.com.

    Peace out and stay green.
    -Adam

  6. I would love to go all out on the recycled stuff, but it costs SO much more than the other stuff. Why is that?? Does anyone know?? Used is supposed to be so much cheaper than new.

  7. In Steamboat Springs, CO, City Market supermarket offers Seventh Generation as well as other recycled options. Safeway doesn’t even offer recycled products. I’ve been using recycled for years and am still trying to get my dad on board who would rather see trees chopped down for better absorbency than use recycled paper towels which I think do a great job.

    Dagny
    http://www.onnotextiles.com
    organic clothing

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