Amidst all the Earth Day celebrations and reflections this past week, consider a late reflection for a 'post' product: toilet paper.Yes, who would think that the lowly tissue which performs such a vital service could be such a culprit. In fact, an article in Worldwatch Magazine entitled 'Flushing Forests' says that the average person in North America uses about 23 kilograms of toilet paper a year. The world average is 3.8. Toilet paper use is multiplying around the world particularly in burgeoning countries like China, and ever more trees are being pulped to keep up with the demand.
Some highlights:
- Improved sanitation throughout the world is a good thing especially to address the high child mortality rate.
- However, toilet paper contributes up to 15% of the 13 million hectares of global forests lost annually.
- More can be done to use recycled paper. What's driving market demand is quality and comfort.
- "Education of consumers, improvements in quality, pricing, and marketing of recycled products must be pursued to meet the demands of a growing global population."
Perhaps we need to rethink our enthusiasm for buying the softest TP and pride ourselves in finding it at 'bargain' bulk prices. In the end it may not be such a bargain in environmental terms.
Is it possible to cultivate a more spartan, utilitarian mindset for a host of personal care products?
