The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) publishes an annual Organizational Challenges report. Every year they’re depressingly similar: vast swaths of Canada’s boreal forest are found cleared of trees so people can clean their asses. The “F” ratings go mostly to the big brands of the biggest companies: P&G, Kimberly-Clark and Georgia-Pacific create flagship brands such as Charmin, Cottonelle and Quilted Northern.
“Lagging industries like P&G are pushing to build a tree-to-toilet pipeline that is flushing away some of the world’s most ecologically important and endangered forests,” Jennifer Skeen, natural resources policy manager, said in a statement. climate solutions at NRDC. We want to avoid catastrophic climate change, we must protect the North’s old forests – areas that have never been touched by industry before. Turning them into toilet paper is a climate crime, especially when these companies need it most. our future.”
NRDC standards prioritize the origin of the fiber, giving post-consumer recycled materials (materials that come from landfills) the highest rating. Recycled pre-consumer content is waste generated, such as trim scraps or unsold copies of Sammy Grover’s book We’re All Climate Hypocrites Now or my book 1.5 Degree Life. Needless to say, we found it best to not create any waste at all and not turn our books into paper pulp.
Treehugger’s Matt Hickman notes, “Consumer waste is preferable because it is less likely to end up in a landfill than pre-consumer waste because manufacturers have long sought to reuse and repurpose waste in a variety of ways,” he adds. Pre-consumer recycling content is not really recycling at all, because the waste involved is not even real waste.”
However, Treehugger’s Olivia Young noted in an article comparing toilet paper that “most recycled materials have thermal coatings, such as the glossy finishes used on receipts, lottery tickets, and shipping label paper.” She added: “Thermal.” The paper contains bisphenol A, better known as BPA, which is also found in recycled toilet paper. “We don’t like to be exposed to BPA, but we are suspicious of the concentration of BPA in recycled toilet paper. It will be quite low.
Bamboo fiber is the next best material on the NRDC list, although it must be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. This ensures that bamboo does not grow in plantations that were previously natural forests. NRDC also states, “FSC certification for bamboo sets requirements designed to ensure that the fiber is sourced in a manner that respects human rights and limits negative impacts on forests.”
We have said in the past that there are questions about FSC’s activities on Chinese plantations, and even FSC itself recently announced that it was reviewing the issue again: “Certificate holders who do not meet FSC certification standards will be fined.” may block companies for serious violations; their trademark licenses will be revoked and they will not be able to seek recertification until the block is lifted. “
The ratings also take into account whitening methods. Although older chlorine bleaches are rarely used, NRDC says, “Elemental chlorine-free (ECF) bleaches, despite their name, release elemental chlorine into the air and water in communities near textile mills and are frequently used. Products made from virgin forest fibers, as well as some bamboo products, can earn more points by using less toxic methods such as oxygen- or ozone-free chlorine-free processing (PCF) or chlorine-free processing (TCF).
Toilet paper containing recycled materials or bamboo primarily receives “A” and “B” grades. Only five received a grade of “C” or “D” and then immediately an “F.” Some are better than others because they use FSC certified wood. All the major brands are represented here: Cottonelle, Charmin and Scott. The same goes for the cheap brands Walmart and Amazon. Most sites that don’t rate sustainability rate Charmin as a top choice, and it ranks high with an F rating from NRDC.
Other websites that rate toilet paper use criteria such as comfort and durability, but NRDC does not. Clearly, this is a major concern for consumers, and Treehugger’s own list of the most eco-friendly toilet paper for 2022 takes this into account. Betterway received a “B” rating from the NRDC, and our Lorraine Wild received an “A” rating.
NRDC failed to mention the elephant in the bathroom—the surge in adult disposable wipe use. All major toilet paper manufacturers now sell this toilet paper, claiming that it is softer and cleaner. Melissa Breuer, editorial director of Treehugger, writes that they are “an underappreciated source of microplastics in the marine environment, and some cities have begun warning residents to stop using them; they clog sewer systems.”
Any discussion about toilet paper begs the question: why use it? Toilet paper is being questioned not only because of the trees, but also because of its effectiveness.
Read Why I Spent $1,200 on a Toilet Seat and Why You Should Too – It doesn’t just replace toilet paper, it does the job better. Of course, a $1,200 toilet seat isn’t for everyone. But there are bidet attachments starting at $30—see our 8 best bidet attachments of 2022. They don’t waste another precious resource: It takes 37 gallons of water to make one roll of toilet paper.
Post time: May-31-2024