How Green Is That … Toilet Paper?

toilet paper

When it comes to toilet paper, what you wipe with matters. E looks at four toilet paper brands that stack up environmentally, from tube-free rolls to bamboo bathroom tissue.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), if every home in the U.S. replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper with a 100% recycled brand, we could save 423,900 trees. Here are four worth considering:
1. Bum Boosa® Bamboo Bathroom Tissue: These rolls (about $3/4 rolls) are made from 100% bamboo—a renewable resource that does not require irrigation, pesticides or replanting after harvest. It’s also whitened without chlorine, biodegradable, BPA-free, and packaged in a 100% recycled cardboard box. www.bumboosa.com

2. Scott Naturals Tube-Free Roll: The 17 billion toilet paper tubes produced annually in the U.S. account for 160 million pounds of trash, according to Kimberly-Clark estimates. Scott Naturals Tube-Free (about $18.50/30 rolls) fit on most toilet paper spindles and even the last sheet is usable since it’s not glued to cardboard. www.scottnaturals.com3. Green Forest Unscented Bathroom Tissue: Not only is Green Forest toilet paper (about $38/4 12-packs) 100% recycled, it’s 90% or more post-consumer-recycled and bleach-free to boot. greenforestpaper.com

4. Marcal Small Steps: Not only is the Small Steps line of toilet paper from Marcal (about $17/12-pack) made from 100% recycled paper drawn from local New Jersey recycling facilities—not trees—it’s also chlorine bleach-free, dye- and fragrance-free and delightfully soft. www.marcalsmallsteps.com