An Affinity That Chafes Our Ends

Umbra on recycled toilet paper

Posted by Bricolage at 12:16 PM on 25 Sep 2006

If your environmental ethics extend to their logical -- make that biological -- end, you might be facing the same dilemma as today's letter-writer, who asks advice maven Umbra Fisk why recycled toilet paper is so much rougher than the virgin kind. Umbra plunges in to an explanation of the qualities of recycled paper -- and pooh-poohs the notion that eco-TP is a bum deal.

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other non-chafing options

Hey All, wanted to point out that my office uses either Seventh Generation recycled toilet paper or Marcal, and neither band is nasty. However, if Jennifer needs more recycled options (try em all, why not): CVS Bathroom Tissue 1000, Cascades, Natural Value, Earth First, Trader Joe's, and 365 Everyday Value. www.kleercut.net has more brands of all sorts of recycled paper products. Also, perhaps people would be interested in emailing Thomas Falk, C.E.O of Kimberly-Clark, the company that makes its toilet paper with fiber from ancient forests (and makes us turn to the "nasty" brands). Check out http://kleercut.net/en/sendtokc for more information.

by RSilberblatter at 1:59 PM on 25 Sep 2006

Let us not get distracted ...

from the real important [t]issue here ... should it hang down the back or over the front?

If a twigg falls in the forest but nobody is there to hear it, it's probably best because there is bound to be cussing.

by Tom Twigg at 2:29 PM on 25 Sep 2006

No contest

Front.

by Sarah K. Burkhalter at 3:06 PM on 25 Sep 2006

lota

What's the need for paper? A small jug of water works better.

by Pandu at 6:13 AM on 26 Sep 2006

Do not use facial tissue

Ever notice how when you use toilet paper when you sneeze, it rips apart? There's a reason for that.

According to wikipedia (and my dad):

"Toilet paper, which differs in composition from facial tissue, is designed to deteriorate when wet in order to keep drain pipes clear. Some types of toilet paper are designed to decompose in septic tanks, while other bathroom and facial tissues do not. Most septic tank manufacturers advise against using paper products that are non-septic tank safe."

Using facial tissue, even if it is recycled, is a very poor suggestion! Something is definitely not green if it causes damage to your plumbing and septic system.

by organicqueso at 7:44 AM on 26 Sep 2006

Green Forest

I usually use Seventh Generation (which I find fine and not scratchy) but they did not have it at the store the other day so I bought Green Forest.

I have to say it was really soft and comparable to your basic Charmin.

I'll stick with Seventh Gen, as it has higher post-consumer recycled percentage (80% vs 40%), but if softness is your issue, try out Green Forest.

by kmp at 7:57 AM on 26 Sep 2006

other options

Or you can radically reduce your TP usage by getting a bidet and cleaning with water rather than scratchy paper.

I've used the Bidetmaticat home for years, and it works really well. It does take some getting used to, but it's actually much more comfortable than paper, and reduced TP usage dramatically.

As for concerns about increased water usage: paper manufacture is a very water-intensive and water-polluting process. I don't have the figures in front of me, but I would bet that you use more water, indirectly, with TP than with a bidet.

by GreenEngineer at 9:04 AM on 26 Sep 2006

duh

Front.

Although either way, my cat pulls it all down, so the TP in my house has to sit on the counter.

by mihan at 10:52 AM on 26 Sep 2006
[ Parent ]

A possible solution

You could always go live in another country for a while. I spent a few years in eastern Europe and got totally used to some 'extreme' situations - like using newspaper, or old books ("take that, socialist realist literature!") Anyway, you'll come back and find that the recycled tp isn't bad at all. Now I like it way more than the poofy pillow stuffing brands.

(I alternate rolls: one front and then one back. Keeps everyone happy.)

by monkeydrumming at 4:14 PM on 27 Sep 2006

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