When we think about environmental threats, we generally think about cars, airplanes, or toxic waste and fumes of factories. These are indeed all huge contributors to the slow destruction of our planet. However, it is important to remember that certain everyday habits or products that might seem quite harmless – and which might be harmless in small quantity- can have catastrophic consequences on the environment when they are used massively. This is the case of toilet paper. Is using a few squares of toilet paper going to melt down the North Pole or make another hole in the Ozone layer? Obviously not. The problem arises when the majority of the human population uses a few squares of toilet paper several times a day.

In countries such as  the United States, we don’t mess around with our toilet paper. We expect the very best quality. We want the softest triple-layer white sheets, maybe with some pretty print or sweet fragrance. Do we ever stop to think about the consequences of using toilet paper? It’s true that one individual’s use of toilet paper seems pretty insignificant, but what if we think in terms of all the toilet paper used within the United States over the course of just one year? It is estimated that the annual American consumption of toilet paper represents over 7 million trees per year. That’s a big chunk of forest.

The point is this: Is all this waste really necessary? No, I’m not suggesting we go back to ancient times and whatever archaic methods they used back then. There are easy options that can significantly reduce our impact on the planet, primarily, switching to recycled toilet paper. Greenpeace ranks different brands of toilet paper as well as brands of paper napkins, paper towels and more, according to three criteria:

- 100% recycled content

- At least 50% post-consumer recycled content

-Bleached without toxic chlorine compounds

According to Greenpeace, “Americans could save more than 400,000 trees if each family bought a roll of recycled toilet paper – just once”. Click here to see Greenpeace’s toilet paper guide.

Seventh Generation has been one of the pioneers in the eco-conscious toilet paper field. It offers consumers 100% recycled toilet paper, with a minimum of 80% post-consumer material. It also avoids any bleaches, inks, dyes and fragrances to keep the environmental impact at a minimum. Find their products here.

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