Consumer Help

“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.” NRDC

     I came across this quote on the NRDC’s (National Resources Defense Council) website today while researching which toilet paper choice was both sustainable and affordable.  Purchasing the right kitchen and bath paper products can make an impact, however, labels often offer little  information on their production.  Avoiding the overuse of all paper products is the best solution—sponges, rags, and cloth napkins rather than paper towels, but when I do purchase paper products, this site helps me make responsible selections.

     This chart comes from the NRDC site which includes detailed charts on the impact of paper product production:  http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp

Toilet Paper           Percent Recycled     Percent Post-Consumer     Bleaching Process

365 (Whole Foods)               100                                 >80                                 PCF

Ambiance                             100                                 80                                   PCF

April Soft                              100                                 80                                   PCF

Best Value                            100                                 <40                                 PCF

CVS Earth Essentials             100                                 60                                   PCF

Earth First                             100                                 <80                                 PCF

Earth Friendly                        100                                 80                                   PCF

Fiesta                                    100                                 80                                   PCF

Green Forest                          100                                 90                                   PCF

Marcal                                    100                                 40                                   PCF

Natural Value                           100                                 80                                   PCF

Natures Choice                        100                                 <40                                 PCF

Pert                                        100                                 <40                                 PCF

Seventh Generation                  100                                 80                                   PCF

Small Steps                             100                                 30                                   PCF

Sofpac                                    100                                 40                                   PCF

Trader Joe's                            100                                 80                                   PCF

Charmin                                     0                                    0                                   ECF

Cottonelle                                  0                                    0                                   ECF

     When the cashier at Pawling’s Hannaford and Patterson’s A & P asks, "Did you find everything you were looking for?" I let them know that I am disappointed with their paper product selection. I imagine more households requesting sustainable options will improve our choices and increase our ability to save those trees.