Living plastic free: Toilet Paper
Hey, squeeze this Mr. Wimple! EnviroWoman is talking toilet paper.
Admit it…you’ve been waiting for it.
As early as January 1st, when the no-new-plastic pledge was made, EnviroWoman knew finding plastic-free TP was going to be a challenge.
For months people had told EnviroWoman…'You’ll find paper-packaged TP at Capers’ LaLaLand's mecca for all things new-age organic. But everytime she went…there was never any in sight. Maybe they were there and EnviroWoman was blind, or having blonde moments…or maybe those elusive rolls had Frodo’s magic cloak that made them suddenly invisible.
And yet, in the bathroom stalls of CorporateCanada EnviroWoman kept seeing paper covered rolls of TP…so she knew it existed.
Finally, the TP gods smiled down upon EnviroWoman. A visit to Capers proved lucky….a single roll of Seventh Generation (100% recycled, no-chlorine bleach, 1000 sheets/1 ply) packaged in paper. But oooee the stuff was pricey, $1.39 a roll. And right next to it…paper-wrapped Main Street TP (100% recycled, 500 sheets/2 ply). Cheaper at $.89 a roll.
She struck the TP motherlode again at Dan-d-Market. There she found April Soft (100% recycled, chlorine-bleach free, 500 sheets/2 ply, and the only one to carry the Environmental Choice logo) and EcoSoft (100% recycled, 500 sheets/2 ply) both for $.99 a roll.
That was still all pretty pricey compared to the 30-roll plastic-packaged Scott Premium stuff at Costco at only $.56 a roll.
So EnviroWoman started hunting janitorial supply places and finally found one (Amre Supply) that sells to the general public and that carried the same Main Street TP found at Capers but in boxes of 48 rolls, at a cost of just $.63 a roll.
EnviroWoman has to admit. She’s a bit surprised there is this much choice for plastic-free toilet paper. Especially when it seemed to be such an elusive beast for so long. Maybe the no-plastic gods are smiling down upon her. (Hey, could you gods send me some plastic-free mascara….please, oh pretty please). Or else, she's finally honing her plastic-free hunting skills.
So here’s how things add up:
Category: Toilet Paper
SAINT: Seventh Generation, April Soft, Main Street, EcoSoft
Quality: Not as plush as Scott Premium from Costco…but hey, you’re only wiping your butt with it…do you really NEED something cushy-plush for that. Is your butt worth cutting down old growth forests for?)
Price: More expensive
SINNERS: Charmin, Cascades, Purex, Safeway Recycled, Safeway Select, Basic Red, Purex, Royale, and even Seventh Generation multi-pack….all packaged in plastic.
Lessons Learned:
- Shop in new places. The supermarket isn’t the only place to shop for everyday things. Sometimes they’re even cheaper in places that cater to businesses rather than the general public.
Brain food:
Okay, usually EnviroWoman ends her posts here. But I know alot of folks care deeply about their toilet paper. And although EnviroWoman has to balance buying plastic-free with other green morals, some of you folks have other 'deciding factors'. So I'm gonna point you in the direction of two good sources to help you make better choices about paper you use in the loo.
- Environmental Choice certified Toilet Paper (which likes April Soft and Main Street [SCA], but doesn't mention Seventh Generation) based on these criteria:
- Load points assessment for resource consumption, energy consumption, COD, TEF and net sold waste (huh?)
- Manufacturing effluent content restrictions
- Use of wood fibres from certified sustainable sources
- Greenpeace's Ancient Forest-Friendly Tissue Products Guide (which likes April Soft and Seventh Generation but doesn't mention Main Street) based on these criteria:
- Ancient and endangered forest friendly
- High recycled and/or alternative fibre content
- Produced without chlorine
Feel free to post a comment of any good sources you have too for brands found in your part of the planet.
Comments
Okay, but...but...how does
Okay, but...but...how does it *FEEL*??? Toilet paper is one of Those Things, y'know. Tender tushies need soft paper. There are some commercial toilet papers encountered in government buildings which are best only for using as sandpaper.
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OmegaMom. EnviroWoman must
OmegaMom.
EnviroWoman must really be a hard ass, because having less-than-soft-n-cushy TP isn't a huge issue for her. Of all the ones she had an opportunity to try out, Seventh Generation was probably the most 'basic'. And it still worked, and felt, just fine.
EnviroWoman
Plastic free. Cruelty free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic
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OK...I'm trying to be a
OK...I'm trying to be a better consumer when it comes to the planet, but I just can't give up my Charmin 2-ply in the blue package. It's soft and has no inks, dyes or perfumes. I know it's on the bad list.
I'm also very picky about my tissue and my papertowels (which I'm *trying* to use less often). The tissues must be soft and have a lotion in them for my ultra tender nose, and my papertowels must be Viva in the short tear sheet roll. They just absorb better and are soft enough to be used on my eyeglasses.
I'm naughty. I know it. I will probably give these luxuries up eventually, but they'll definitely be the last things to go. And there's a long way to go, so they're safe for a long time.
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Silly on so many levels
Silly on so many levels .
Price is closely related to total use of resources in a product . It is highly likely that the more expensive papers have a greater impact on the environment than the cheaper ones . Trees for paper are raised on farms same as corn .
Omnivore living on the edge of Pike Natnl Forest where I'd rather eat a duck we raise than have one of the carnivores from the woods get it as they usually do .
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Gwyn You and I can only hope
Gwyn
You and I can only hope that Anonymous or Matthew don't show up and read my Toilet Paper post (like they did for Soda Pop and Toothpaste respectively) and tell us that in fact, toilet paper itself contains plastic.
Because - I'm with ya woman - that would really bum me out...on so many levels!
Glad you Aussies have Safe. And I just rediscovered Planet Ark last week. Very good site, and even some good stuff on plastic. Your Aussie government is very 'plastic-aware' too, especially in comparison to our Canuck government.
Thanks for reading....and commenting
EnviroWoman
Plastic free. Cruelty free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic
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Kathy I've said it before
Kathy
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ya gotta pick your poison. No one will ever be able to be perfect at all things planet-friendly. Just do what you can do. And then do more.
You're 'naughty' about Kleenex and Paper Towels. EnviroWoman is naughty about chocolate. Yeah, I've given up crackers, and chips, and pop, and nail polish and highlighters and other stuff. And I'm even gonna have to give up paper towels. But I won't give up chocolate. Yeah, sure I've given up all chocolate that comes wrapped in plastic. But if someone told me, chocolate has got a coating of plastic on it so it goes down your esophagus better or for some other reason, I'd say 'Okay by me'.
Chocolate is my little luxury. (Well actually, my big addiction). Paper towels and kleenex are yours.
Plastic free. Cruelty free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic
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Bob I'm not sure I agree
Bob
I'm not sure I agree with your point that price is closely related to total use of resources in a product. I think sometimes price is related to lower standards for production too. And the labour source. And abundance of resources. And supply and demand.
Higher production standards and scarcity of supply usually translate into higher price. FSC paper is a fine example of this, just like recycled paper was a good example of this too. When it first came out, recycled paper was way more expensive, but demand created better economies of scale in production and brought the price down. We will see the same happen to FCS paper too.
And often price is related to what the price-setters think a person will pay (i.e a Gucci purse) for status, popularity, to follow a fad, or to have a better user experience...even if its just in the bathroom.
Coming from BC, a heavy forestry province, I don't believe that tree farms fulfill all our paper needs either. See Greenpeace's campaign against Kimberly Clark
Cheers, and thanks for reading. It must be wonderful to live on the edge of Pike National Forest.
Plastic free. Cruelty free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic
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Phew - I am so glad that was
Phew - I am so glad that was about TP wrapping - you have already talked me out of things like ear buds - I was worried you were going to have discovered plastic sticking the rolls together or something and I was going to have to go TP free! In Australia we have 100% recycled and unbleached TP made by Safe, available in coles and woolies etc, wrapped in brown paper, and endorsed by PLanet Ark.