I have tried recycled toilet paper over the years and found it uncomfortable. Try as I might, I couldn’t bring myself to switch to it permanently. But recently, I’ve felt more and more convicted. Most paper products are made from virgin wood pulp, much of which comes from North American forests. In fact, 98% of toilet paper in the U.S. comes from the pulp of virgin trees. It’s such a shame to cut down a tree so that I can wipe my nose and butt on some soft tissue.
Over the past few months, our family has made the switch to almost entirely recycled paper products. We now exclusively purchase recycled paper towels, tissue, and toilet paper. And when I buy cards or other paper products, I look for ones made from recycled paper and preferably soy ink too. It takes a little bit of adjustment, but we’ve found some products that are soft and comfortable enough for my family, but are still made out of recycled paper. Remember that it’s not enough to solely recycle the paper you use. You need to also buy recycled paper products to increase the demand on post-consumer recycled paper and decrease the demand on virgin wood pulp.
Here are some brands that we’ve tried and liked (see below for pictures):
- EarthFirst paper towels and toilet paper. I think Costco sells these in bulk sometimes. One of the softer toilet papers I’ve tried.
- Marcal Small Steps toilet paper. My traditional, non-natural grocery store carries this brand and I find it fairly priced and reasonably soft.
- Green Forest tissue paper. I am happiest with the price and softness of their tissue paper. Again, sold at my traditional grocery store.
- Seventh Generation toilet paper. A bit pricey, but a good product.
The great thing about these products is not only are they made with recycled paper, they are also whitened without the use of chlorine. Traditional paper products whitened with chlorine cause dioxin, a carcinogen and toxin, to be released into the environment.
Please also see this Shopper’s Guide to Home Tissue Products.
