This morning the front page of the New York Times has an article by Leslie Kaufman on the ridiculous amount of boreal forest that is cut down every year to make toilet paper. Brands such as Quilted Northern, Charmin Ultra and Cottonelle Ultra are made from up to 22% virgin tree stock, including some trees that are at least 200 years old.
It is sickening to think that old growth forests, which help clean our air and provide shelter to creatures great and small are literally being flushed down our toilets.
In the US, less than 2% of all TP sales are for recycled product.
In a happy confluence of events, TP made from 100% recycled paper is becoming cheaper and more readily available. If you are looking for things to ve happy about during this global recession, add the plummeting cost of recycled paper to your list. The reduction in materials cost is making recycled TP price competitive with regular brands. And new to the market are some brands that are completely normal looking, made from 100% recycled paper and that are not whitened with chlorine bleach, a known pollutant.
When we first made the switch to recycled TP, I set out figuring I would wind up with rolls of scratchy brown paper — it wasn’t that bad but it was far from great. Our local Co-op stocked one brand. Expensive, teeny little rolls and, um, linty. Everyone here hated it. Without getting too graphic, let’s just say that 7 people go through a lot of TP and it was impossible to keep enough of the miniature rolls on hand to last between my weekly shopping trips.
It’s hard to feel good about making good environmental choices when you are trapped in the bathroom hollering for backup.
In the past month or so, our local grocery has started carrying the Marcal “Small Steps” product. It looks, feels and lasts just like Scott,our former family favorite. Surprisingly, it is a little cheaper, at least here in NH. Another bonus is that there is no plastic used in the packaging, unlike the pricey shrink wrapped brand I was paying top dollar for at the Co-op.
In a company press release, James Dagosta, Senior Vice President of Sales Marcal Paper Products, LLC explains: “this brand’s heritage is rooted in conserving resources, protecting our environment and keeping the air our families breathe cleaner and healthier. Marcal has a longstanding history of addressing the issues of sustainability that face industry”.
A quick glance at the Marcal website promises papertowels, napkins and facial tissues, all made from recycled paper, not from trees. And, according to the article in The Times, Tim Spring, the new CEO of Marcal is planning a $30 million advertising campaign to introduce it’s recycled line nationwide, and is committed to increasing consumer awareness. “Our idea is that you don’t have to spend extra money to save the Earth” he said. “And people want to know what happens to the paper they recycle. This will give them closure”.
Mr. Whipple would be proud.
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