Environmentalists Battle Over Toilet Paper

Washington Post: Groups Say Soft Toilet Paper May be Hard on the Earth, But Consumers May Not Buy the Alternative

(Washington Post)  This story was written by David A. Fahrenthold.

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There is a battle for America's behinds.

It is a fight over toilet paper: the kind that is blanket-fluffy and getting fluffier so fast that manufacturers are running out of synonyms for "soft" (Quilted Northern Ultra Plush is the first big brand to go three-ply and three-adjective).

It's a menace, environmental groups say -- and a dark-comedy example of American excess.

The reason, they say, is that plush U.S. toilet paper is usually made by chopping down and grinding up trees that were decades or even a century old. They want Americans, like Europeans, to wipe with tissue made from recycled paper goods.

It has been slow going. Big toilet-paper makers say that they've taken steps to become more Earth-friendly but that their customers still want the soft stuff, so they're still selling it.

This summer, two of the best-known combatants in this fight signed a surprising truce, with a big tissue maker promising to do better. But the larger battle goes on -- the ultimate test of how green Americans will be when nobody's watching.

"At what price softness?" said Tim Spring, chief executive of Marcal Manufacturing, a New Jersey paper maker that is trying to persuade customers to try 100 percent recycled paper. "Should I contribute to clear-cutting and deforestation because the big [marketing] machine has told me that softness is important?"

He added: "You're not giving up the world here."

Toilet paper is far from being the biggest threat to the world's forests: together with facial tissue, it accounts for 5 percent of the U.S. forest-products industry, according to industry figures. Paper and cardboard packaging makes up 26 percent of the industry, although more than half is made from recycled products. Newspapers account for 3 percent.

But environmentalists say 5 percent is still too much.

Felling these trees removes a valuable scrubber of carbon dioxide, they say. If the trees come from "farms" in places such as Brazil, Indonesia or the southeastern United States, natural forests are being displaced. If they come from Canada's forested north -- a major source of imported wood pulp -- ecosystems valuable to bears, caribou and migratory birds are being damaged.

And, activists say, there's just the foolish idea of the thing: old trees cut down for the briefest and most undignified of ends.

"It's like the Hummer product for the paper industry," said Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "We don't need old-growth forests . . . to wipe our behinds."

The reason for this fight lies in toilet-paper engineering. Each sheet is a web of wood fibers, and fibers from old trees are longer, which produces a smoother and more supple web. Fibers made from recycled paper -- in this case magazines, newspapers or computer printouts -- are shorter. The web often is rougher.

So, when toilet paper is made for the "away from home" market, the no-choice bathrooms in restaurants, offices and schools, manufacturers use recycled fiber about 75 percent of the time.

But for the "at home" market, the paper customers buy for themselves, 5 percent at most is fully recycled. The rest is mostly or totally "virgin" fiber, taken from newly cut trees, according to the market analysis firm RISI Inc.

Big tissue makers say they've tried to make their products as green as possible, including by buying more wood pulp from forest operations certified as sustainable.

But despite environmentalists' concerns, they say customers are unwavering in their desire for the softest paper possible.

"That's a segment [of consumers] that is quite demanding of products that are soft," said James Malone, a spokesman for Georgia-Pacific. Sales figures seem to make that clear: Quilted Northern Ultra Plush, the three-ply stuff, sold 24 million packages in the past year, bringing in more than $144 million, according to the market research firm Information Resources Inc.

Last month, Greenpeace announced an agreement that it said would change this industry from the inside.

The environmental group had spent 4 1/2 years attacking Kimberly-Clark, the makers of Kleenex and Cottonelle toilet paper, for getting wood from old-growth forests in Canada. But the group said it is calling off the "Kleercut" campaign: Kimberly-Clark had agreed to make its practices greener.

By 2011, the company said, 40 percent of the fiber in all its tissue products will come from recycled paper or sustainable forests.

"We could have campaigned forever," said Lindsey Allen, a senior forest campaigner with Greenpeace. But this was enough, she said, because Kimberly-Clark's changes could alter the entire wood-pulp supply chain: "They have a policy that . . . will shift the entire way that tissue companies work."

Still, some environmental activists said that Greenpeace should have pushed for more.

"The problem is not yet getting better," said Chris Henschel, of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, talking about logging in Canada's boreal forests. He said real change will come only when consumers change their habits: "It's unbelievable that this global treasure of Canadian boreal forests is being turned into toilet paper. . . . I think every reasonable person would have trouble understanding how that would be okay."

That part could be difficult, because -- in the U.S. market, at least -- soft is to toilet paper what fat is to bacon, the essence of the appeal.

Earlier this year, Consumer Reports tested toilet paper brands and found that recycled-tissue brands such as Seventh Generation and Marcal's Small Steps weren't unpleasant. But they gave their highest rating to the three-ply Quilted Northern.

"We do believe that you're going to feel a difference," said Bob Markovich, an editor at Consumer Reports.

Marcal, the maker of recycled toilet paper here in New Jersey, is trying to change that with a two-pronged sales pitch. The first is that soft is overrated.

"Strength of toilet paper is more important, for obvious reasons," said Spring, the chief executive, guiding a golf cart among the machinery that whizzes up vast stacks of old paper, whips it into a slurry, and dries it into rolls of toilet paper big enough for King Kong. He said his final product is as strong as any of the big-name brands. "If the paper breaks during your use of toilet paper, obviously, that's very, very important."

The second half of the pitch is that Marcal's toilet paper is almost as soft as the other guy's anyway.

"Handle it like you're going to take care of business," company manager Michael Bonin said, putting this reporter through a blind test of virgin vs. recycled toilet paper. Two rolls were hidden in a cardboard box: the test was to reach in without looking and wad them up, considering the "three aspects of softness," which are surface smoothness, bulky feel and "drapability," or lack of rigidity.

The reporter wadded. The officials waited. The one on the right felt slightly softer.

That was not the answer they wanted: The recycled paper was on the left.

[ghudson8]

What we must look at is what uses LESS energy: (http://tinyurl.com/y8hmrfm). With our population growing I dont see this problem being resolved any time soon.

[CelticDruidess1]

What needs to be done is to make a toilet tissue that is soft from recycled fibres - there just doesn't seem to be the incentive to support industry to do this; there is always the issue that private industry cannot be support; that they must do it all by themselves and that publicly traded companies get to be supported. If you want the answer then allow it to happen and quit complaining about it. Support the private industry that has the science that can make the difference. Make it illegal to use new fibres. I don't like having to make it illegal to breath, but it seems that unless we bring in laws, the big publicly traded companies don't get off their butts and get the work done. There are other plants that can be used that have long soft fibres; they could even be made to be totally washable and reuseable if you wanted. Support the science and quit complaining that the toilet tissue isn't soft. I have very sensitive skin and only use the soft stuff having spent years with getting a sore butt after spending time at my grandparents (because of their desire to be cheap); I'm also an environmental scientist and I know all too well how private industry is not supported in our efforts to create. Yes we like to make money but many of us are in it because we care; the big publicly funded groups are only in it to make tons of money for their investors - they don't care. Whatever pays the biggest dividends is what gets their vote. Quit your complaining and support the science and the rest will work itself out.

[jeffsamuels9]

This covers all the bases = saves you money, helps the environment, helps your health, makes you feel better, it's so easy to do and it costs less than $50.00; Save money and the Earth and be clean at the same time! Add Bathroom Bidet Sprayers to all your bathrooms. I think Dr. Oz on Oprah said it best: "if you had pee or poop on your hand, you wouldn't wipe it off with paper, would you? You'd wash it off? Available at www.bathroomsprayers.com with these you won't even need toilet paper any more, just a towel to dry off! Don?t worry, you can still leave some out for guests and can even make it the soft stuff without feeling guilty. It's cheap and can be installed without a plumber; and runs off the same water line to your toilet. You'll probably pay for it in a few months of toilet paper savings. As for water use a drought is always a concern and must be dealt with prudently but remember the water use of industrial users far exceeds the water use of household users and in the case of toilet paper manufacture it is huge. The pollution and significant power use from that manufacturing process also contributes to global warming so switching to a hand bidet sprayer and lowering your toilet paper use is very green in multiple ways.

[erasmus111]

by texanforlogi September 25, 2009 10:18 AM EDT
Obviously, you are a man. Men are more concerned with strength over softness, because that is what they need.

Women use toilet paper each and every time we go, so sorry sir, but softness is critical. Those tender areas can be abraded by rough paper with wood chips.



I am a woman. I actually hate toilet paper that is too thick and too soft. There are different qualities of recycled toilet paper. Some are thin and abrasive, but others are not. You just have to find the right one. Of course I'm in Canada, maybe we have better quality recycled toilet paper. : )

[erasmus111]

I don't recall seeing any wood chips. : )

[erasmus111]

by texanforlogi September 25, 2009 10:14 AM EDT
OK, I'm confused . . .

HOW do you wash your butt while sitting on the toilet? Standing up is a VERY bad idea, as that increases the diameter of the area to be washed. Wet wipes I can see, but soap and water? I'm pretty agile, so if anyone can enlighten me I'm willing to give it a try!


Ask Whoopi Goldberg, she has a toilet that washes her butt. : ) It must be something like those bidets or whatever they are called. The one that Whoopi has sprays warm water on your butt and I think maybe it blows warm air to dry it too. I'm not sure.

[jsd330]

If it's about saving paper, then what about all the junk mail and flyers I recieve at my home and business? To bad I can't use it for toilet paper.

[erasmus111]

Are you recycling your junk mail and flyers? That's probably what's in the recycled toilet paper. : )

[cstoppa]

I think we should use leaves. They are natural and grow on trees.

[donkeylips]

You guys don't know about the three shells, do you?

[incog-nito]

It's obvious that the only way to be truly "green" is to use nothing at all. Even recycled paper come from trees, you know. In fact, to be really green people must stop living in their houses and driving their cars, and move out into open fields. And forget about eating meat, because that would be hurtful the animals. Even eating plants might upset their ecological balance. And what about breathing? That releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, and that's a no-no. It's clear that the best way to be green is for people to not exist at all. Please, do it for the children.

[rwsmith29456]

Does Sears still make a catalog??

[erasmus111]

Yes. : ) So everyone needs to quit whinin'.

[nwheron]

Only in Canada.

[swami545]

Make those environmental groups use leaves! That's better than recycled paper anyway!

[swami545]

Government messing with my bathroom again. First they mandated low-flow toilets, now they want people to get papercuts down there.

[erasmus111]

There just never seems to be a shortage of people b*tchin' and whinin'. They just can't seem to do there part, no matter how small, in making this world a better place.

I use recycled toilet paper and haven't gotten a papercut down there yet.

I can see people b*tching if the toilet paper was like what is in restaurants and places like that, but it isn't. That stuff is like tissue paper.

[nor-one]

Toilet paper is a very small problem. If the Greenies were not scared ********* of women and pampers they would go after the biggest problem facing north americas land fill sites !! Get people to go back to cleaning up after their children and using diapers. Their mothers (Ha Ha) and grandmothers did and you didn't need a new landfill every five years!! How about it greenines any guts out there?

[erasmus111]

ACTUALLY, I have heard several times that going back to using cloth diapers isn't really going to make a difference. I mean, I guess they take up more room in the land fill, but the energy used to wash them in hot water and then dry them isn't good either. So they are saying that it doesn't really make a lot of difference.

[erasmus111]

"But despite environmentalists' concerns, they say customers are unwavering in their desire for the softest paper possible."


What the toilet paper manufacturers need to do is stop making soft toilet paper and only make recycled toilet paper. Then there isn't any choice. If people don't want to use their fingers, they will have to use the recycled toilet paper. Get over it! It's not that big of a deal. I switched to recycled toilet paper and it ain't no big deal. Not all recycled toilet paper is the same, some are better than others. I actually prefer it to the really soft toilet paper.

[swami545]

Just like low flow toilets, it's all a farce. Low flow - people flush multiple times. Recycled tp, and you'll go through a half roll getting clean. No environmental gain, just a bunch of idiots who think they're helping the environment. Just like all the extra pollution making electric and hybrid cars offsetting tailpipe exhaust.

[erasmus111]

by swami545 September 24, 2009 9:48 PM EDT
Just like low flow toilets, it's all a farce. Low flow - people flush multiple times. Recycled tp, and you'll go through a half roll getting clean. No environmental gain, just a bunch of idiots who think they're helping the environment.


I really don't think you know what the hell you are talking about. I have a low flow toilet and have never had to flush more than once. I also use recycled toilet paper and have had no problem with that either. There are different quality recycled toilet paper, like the soft, you just have to find the right one for you.

[erasmus111]

Actually I have 2 low flow toilets in my house and haven't had problems with either one.

[texanforlogi]

Obviously, you are a man. Men are more concerned with strength over softness, because that is what they need.

Women use toilet paper each and every time we go, so sorry sir, but softness is critical. Those tender areas can be abraded by rough paper with wood chips.

Charmin Ultra for me! My septic system precludes using a wad--three sheets is plenty.

[spiritwalk]

Soft toilet paper and low flow toilets have been a boom to the makers of toilet pluggers.

Aborbent paper and low pressure flushing is a guaranteed stopped up toilet.

[pensacola8-2009]

I say keep the soft toilet paper, and instead start building homes out of steel studs and concrete. That would relieve the demand on wood and reduce the problems of surving and repairing damage by wood destroying insects.

[swami545]

You can make homes out of concrete - it uses too much water.

[HGOODGUY]

As if there is not enough to be concerned about, we now have to have a "forensic" description on the pitfalls of "ass wiping"!!
Oh well they say humor is the best medicine!!

[revdanbar]

Why on earth would any one want to use toilet paper? If you accidentally got "poo" on your hands would you in your wildest dreams think "Oh, I have poo on my hands, I must find some tissue to clean them with". Of course not. You would want hot soapy water to wash up with before you felt "clean" again. Why should your butt be any different. Wash your butt America and save the tissue for your nose.

[swami545]

revdanbar, you can't do that either - you'd be unnecessarily using water. Before long, they'll regular that we can only shower once every 3 days.

[erasmus111]

by swami545 September 24, 2009 9:43 PM EDT
revdanbar, you can't do that either - you'd be unnecessarily using water.


It would take less water than flushing a toilet.

[texanforlogi]

OK, I'm confused . . .

HOW do you wash your butt while sitting on the toilet? Standing up is a VERY bad idea, as that increases the diameter of the area to be washed. Wet wipes I can see, but soap and water? I'm pretty agile, so if anyone can enlighten me I'm willing to give it a try!

[nwheron]

We've drastically reduced our use of toilet paper since we installed toilet seat bidets (Bio-Bidet 800 is our favorite). Plus it's infitely cleaner than TP.

[pollroller1]

Some of this paper will give you a finger surprise.