photo credit: NiCk AnDeRsEn

I thought eco friendly toilet paper was simple, just buy recycled toilet paper.  An article in the NY Times indicates that the US is causing deforestation because of sales of fluffy toilet paper like Charmin Ultra.

Nowadays, when I see paper products that are slightly brown in color, I think that they are more environmentally friendly or green. This trend has recently started to accelerate.

“Although toilet tissue can be made at similar cost from recycled material, it is the fiber taken from standing trees that help give it that plush feel, and most large manufacturers rely on them.”

“In the United States, which is the largest market worldwide for toilet paper, tissue from 100 percent recycled fibers makes up less than 2 percent of sales for at-home use among conventional and premium brands.”

Greenpeace even has a list of brand recommendations.  Try to stick to high recycled content and no bleaching.

So please try to stick to standard recycled toilet paper.  You can even switch to a bidet.

Costco 100% Recycled Premium Bath Tissue – Toilet Paper

Costco now sells Nature’s Choice 100% Recycled Premium Bath Tissue. No need to make a special trip to Whole Paycheck aka Whole Foods to get recycled products. Price is as low as you would expect from Costco and performance of the product is fairly good too.

The NRDC states: If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees.

Cascades makes toilet paper with 20% recycled corrugated box content that is even more green, but posses a slightly brown color tint. This may shock consumers, but it is a step in the right direction. They are not using bleached paper, which saves on chlorine chemical usage. The next time you buy paper products, try to buy something slightly brown.