My sister-in-law brought this article and video from Planet Green to our attention recently, after my husband had complained about her slightly scratchy toilet paper. The article is about how old growth forests are cut down to make the softest toilet paper. The video is from Consumer Reports – an investigative type of piece on how to find the softest toilet paper out there, with many of the best scientific minds around working to solve this pressing problem.
Being consumers of soft toilet paper (though not Charmin), my husband and I were both horrified by this. Of course I knew that toilet paper was made from trees, but I’ve driven and taken the train across country many times, and there is no lack of trees on this continent. But old-growth trees are another thing entirely, and I still cannot believe they would be cut down for something so… what’s the word I’m looking for? Trivial? Mundane? Banal?
My husband is in charge of buying toilet paper and other paper products, and he generally gets the best price at places like Smart & Final. But we agreed immediately to switch brands to a recycled toilet paper that wouldn’t endanger old growth forests!
This is the kind of thing I’m glad to learn about but feel so upset that I didn’t know. How can this go on? I’m raving, I know. But if you feel like I do, please switch brands immediately. I don’t think anyone thinks soft toilet paper is important enough to fell giant trees.
Click here for a guide to where to buy “green” toilet paper. Until we find the cheapest/most convenient item on the list for us, we’ll buy the Trader Joe’s brand.
Thanks sister-in-law, for helping us Do The Right Thing! And hopefully some of my readers will be inspired to make the switch as well. I’ll bet a lot of you knew about this already. Please leave your thoughts on the issue in the Comments section.
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