Will Recycled Fiber Toilet Paper Become the Next Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb?
Toilet paper may not be the sexiest environmental issue, but it really is one of the most important considering the manufacturing of that product causes deforestation, which causes more global warming pollution than all the combined emissions of cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and ships in the entire world.
So we were thrilled to see the New York Times publish a prominent front-page article highlighting the ecological stupidity of making toilet paper from natural forests. Although toilet paper is a product that we use for less than three seconds, there are more types of forests at risk from makers of toilet paper than you can imagine: ancient forests, old growth forests, virgin forests, second growth forests, natural forests, high conservation value forests, temperate forests, tropical and sub-tropical forests and boreal forests. (Who knew there were so many?)
There are enormous ecological impacts associated with the pulp and paper industry. Perhaps no industry has forced more species into extinction, destroyed more habitats, polluted as many streams, rivers, and lakes. The pulp and paper industry is the third greatest industrial emitter of global warming pollution in industrialized countries (after the chemical and steel industries), and its CO2 emissions are projected to increase by roughly 100 percent by 2020. And how about this for a mind blowing fact: the pulp and paper industry is the single largest industrial consumer of freshwater (11% of all water used in the 30 most advanced industrial countries goes just to make paper products). Virgin timber pulp-and-paper mills are classified under U.S. federal law as "major" generators of hazardous air pollutants, including dioxins and other highly toxic pollutants considered to be carcinogenic. (Okay, we'll save that for another blog.) No industry has caused as much taxpayer dollars to be spent on ecologically dangerous landfills and incinerators. So talking about toilet paper may be easy to dismiss, but its serious folks. And you can do something about it.
All toilet paper should be made from recovered, second generation fibers. No forest of any kind should be used to make toilet paper. Toilet paper made from trees should be phased out in the same way we're phasing out the use of incandescent light bulbs starting with our schools, theaters, auditoriums, office buildings, and of course our homes. A little "sacrifice" on the "need" for three seconds of softness vs. a whole lot of healthy forests left standing, providing habitat, inspiration, clean water, and soaking up carbon would be a very good change for this New Year. Let's stop flushing our forests down the toilet.
To learn which tissue products are preferable to buy, go to nrdc.org/paper.
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For years I've saved on paper napkins-instead of high dollar fabric napkins, sold with place mats and tablecloths-I use bandannas.They come in all colors and many designs besides the original old print.I have some with chili peppers,stars and moons as well as cow print.You can get them at most craft stores for about $1. If you sew, you can make your own as well.
We already buy recycled paper towels and other paper products when possible. Some stores in our semi-rural area don't carry them, and some charge a fortune; although I often pay it. Better me paying now, than my grandkids paying the rest of their lives.
Maybe we need to go back to the "Sears Roebuck catalog as toilet paper" days!!
DUH! The information this article presents is old, old, old. Our family has been using recycled toilet paper for more than 20 years, since the days when GreenPeace and other ecological vanguards first released these stats and the only recycled TP available was unbleached brown. Stop whining, America, and get with it. Recycled, unbleached TP is only a tiny part of what it will take to help put the brakes on global warming. These changes have to be made regardless of how inconvenienced some of us feel by what toilet paper we wipe our bums with atop our heated, automatic soft-closing toilet seats. We are fighting for our lives here, people, and for the lives of every other being on the planet. What part of that don't you understand?
Though accounting for only 5 percent of the world's population, Americans consume 26 percent of the world's energy. (American Almanac)
The amount of industrial pollution dumped into U.S. and Canadian rivers, lakes, and streams rose 26 percent in the period from 1995 to 1999, according to a report released in May by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The United States accounted for 90 percent of the toxic pollutants released by the two countries. (CEC)
I want to be as green as possible. I really do. I recycle every thing. But why WHY are those compact
flourescents going to replace incandescant lightbulbs? They contain mercury - if you drop one, you
basically have a hazmat situation. It seems that this is the kind of poorly thought out plan/product that
gives green a bad name. Someone, help me feel better about this - because I don't get it.
First off, you shouldn't feel guilty because you're using incandescent bulbs. However, if you really want to go green, then switch to LED bulbs. You'll pay more up front, but you'll save about 90% over standard bulbs. And you don't have the mercury to worry about. Buck up, li'l soldier. The reason they want you to use the CFB is so they can control just another little part of your life. Throw off the shackles, fire up the SUV, and eat off styrofoam plates!
Too bad every "eco-bulb" I've seen is made under questionable circumstances with cheap labor and coal power in China.
If this new toilet paper is as harsh as the light from a CFL then I'm not buying it.
Stay away from my toilet Paper!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF24UKl8K1s
There was a similar article on Alternet that linked to Greenpeace with a guide to TP. What no one mentions here is that buying recycled toilet paper is beyond the budget of most families. I priced a Greanpeace sanctioned brand at the grocery store yesterday...$3.68 for four rolls. With four in my family, we go through that in two days or less. I would like to see prices come down for recyled and eco products including power options and cars...so that the majority of Americans can afford them. Affordability is the key to widespread conversion and use.
Become the Next Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb?
you mean those energy efficient bulbs that are now causing mercury pollution instead-- because people are throwing them into the trash can rather than treating them as hazardous waste.....
There is really no need to use paper at all. Much of the world uses a little jug of water, which actually works much better than paper.
I do not have the facts at my disposal, (no pun intended), but it seems likely to me that forest management programs which cut and replant for future reharvest are a large part of the pulpwood industry.
Definitely toilet paper should be made from recycled material. But to imply that we are wiping out forests to wipe our butts doesn't sound realistic to me.
Of far greater concern is the vast destruction of the Amazonian rainforest (160 acres EVERY MINUTE destroyed----total destruction by 2050 unless something is done) because of that forest's ability to change Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen.
Without that forested area, and with the marine plankton reducing from either warming or toxins the planet will at some point be no longer able to maintain atmospheric O2 homeostasis.
Try wiping your ass while holding your breath for 5 minutes, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Right on. Look for my earlier post where I address this directly. TP sources are actually quite sustainable. Old-growth timber is made into houses, decks, and furniture, not TP; and pine plantations are little more than long-term agricultural crops.
Recycling paper has it's own environmental problems, to boot. There are much bigger problems out there.
I always thought that toilet paper was made out of recycled paper. I'm appalled at the thought that virgin timber is used to manufacture it! Something must be done. Where can I buy the stuff that is made from recycled paper? I'm old enough to remember a toilet paper advertizing ( in the 1930's) that it was made from the finest paper. Then it showed the competitor's brand "macroscopically" with wood splinters in it saying it was what made people irritable. ( probably a lot of conservatives bought it...They've always been such an unhappy lot) Can you believe how naive we, the public, used to be? We actually believed that what was in print was the truth!!!!
Reading all these posts, I have to say again that I am feeling defeated. No matter WHAT humans do, we are going to harm the earth in some way. Unless we live as prehistoric people did, we are going to pollute the earth with the by-products of being alive. We were meant to use the earth for its resources or we wouldn't be here. We haven't done the best job of it, and I agree that we need to change the way we do lots of things in order to sustain our progress.
It hurts me to hurt the earth, and I try to do everything I can to minimize the damage. But I also can't run around feeling guilty for being alive and eating meat and having children and using electricity. Using TP is bad, but using a bidet is bad, too. It's a no-win.
As usual, I think the truth and the solution lies somewhere in the middle of the two extremes.
If you use a Bidet and eco soap, it's all organic fertilizer when you are done.
We can also Bio Charcoal it and use the charcoal as super fertilizer.
Buddhists try not to kill anything, but realize that even breathing kills microorganisms, and that ti live we must eat. So no guilt is necessary, just mindfulness.
Also wondering why you couldn't use hemp, or maybe bamboo for this.
Also hemp's a lot different than the weed people smoke.
YES !!!!!! Farmers worldwide have harvested the crop for the past 12,000 years for fiber and food, and Popular Mechanics once boasted that over 25,000 environmentally friendly products could be derived from hemp.
If I remember correctly you get 3x the paper from 1acre of hemp that you do from trees.
It also is renewed each year and you don't have to way 20yrs from regrowth..
Hemp RALLY messes up the genetics of quality, outdoor-grown marijuana. If only hippies knew...
Damn it. I meant "REALLY". And yeah, bamboo isn't a bad idea.
I think we need to very scientific about these things...I'm not so sure we gained anything going to flour-compact light bulb....my son tells me they are outlawed in Austrailia because they have high mercury content. So we trade one problem for a worse one. The light bulb companies get rich selling everyone new bulbs knowing there is a problem...I would really like to know the facts from someone independent.
Great item. Thank you.
I agree with you 100%. I have been using toilet paper (unbleached), made from recycled paper, for a few years now and the quality is very good.
I understand that the more we use recycled products, the greater the demand for them will be. As a result, more recycled products will become available and much less waste will end up as land fill.
I do whatever I can ( Reduce, Re-use, Recycle) to try to help protect the earth for future generations. I don't have any children but I hope that my efforts (and the efforts of millions of other people) will do some good for those who follow after us.
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