An Affinity That Chafes Our Ends

Umbra on recycled toilet paper 9

Dear Umbra,

The few brands of recycled-content toilet paper available are nasty. Why is it so difficult to manufacture TP that's not from virgin trees but doesn't feel like bark on one's sensitive skin? What exactly is the technological barrier the nation's scientists must overcome in order to make a roll that's sensitive, both against our skin and environmentally?

Jennifer Stanley
Oakland, Calif.

Dearest Jennifer,

You'll be happy and perhaps surprised to learn that there are no technological barriers to creating soft toilet paper from recycled fibers -- just barriers to making it as soft as the virgin-tree-on-a-roll brands.

Roll with it, baby.

Photo: iStockphoto

The reason for this difference has to do with the fact that the texture of the starting fibers -- whether virgin or recycled -- influences the feel of the "end" product. (Ha ha.) Also, the fibers in paper shorten each time they're recycled, making recycled paper less strong than the virgin variety. To compensate for this, some manufacturers use resins or mechanical means that help the recycled fibers stick together better. But making paper stronger also tends to make it stiffer, bringing us back to your dilemma.

All is not lost, however: just as there are differences in softness between virgin brands, the recycled kind comes in a lot of different forms, some dramatically less sandpapery than others. Fortunately for all but the most sensitive of bums, truly soft (or soft-enough) recycled TP is out there -- even the cushy double-ply stuff. For what it's worth, the U.S. EPA's federal purchasing guide [PDF] even advises government tissue buyers to "avoid misconceptions about softness, absorbency, and strength. Some recycled-content sanitary tissue products are softer, stronger, and more absorbent." Though I don't often turn to the feds for enlightenment, in this case I think they're right.

Since you likely know all the reasons to buy recycled TP -- which boil down to protecting the endangered forests that keep our planet healthy -- I'd recommend a new approach. Buy a few brands you haven't tried and do a series of personal softness tests, keeping in mind the words of one Natural Resources Defense Council activist: "How soft do you need something to be that you use for five seconds a day?" If you find a couple of brands you can live with, choose the one with the highest amount of recycled content and -- presto -- you can wipe away both your guilt and your discomfort.

If you're still not satisfied, there are a few things you can do. You could start by writing letters to virgin TP companies telling them you want a soft recycled product and also to recycled TP companies telling them your bum is in distress, so please innovate, post-haste. You might also test some brands of recycled facial tissue on your other end and see if any of those meet your standards. If you want to stick with officially designated TP, I have it on good authority that folding creates a gentler effect than crumpling. And finally: you could always install a bidet attachment. How terribly cosmopolitan.

Any other ideas, readers? Let us know.

Rawly,
Umbra

 

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

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  1. RSilberblatter Posted 6:59 am
    25 Sep 2006

    other non-chafing optionsHey 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. http://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.

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  2. Tom Twigg's avatar

    Tom Twigg Posted 7:29 am
    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?

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  3. Sarah K. Burkhalter's avatar

    Sarah K. Burkhalter Posted 8:06 am
    25 Sep 2006

    No contestFront.

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  4. Pandu Posted 11:13 pm
    25 Sep 2006

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

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  5. organicqueso Posted 12:44 am
    26 Sep 2006

    Do not use facial tissueEver 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.

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  6. kmp Posted 12:57 am
    26 Sep 2006

    Green ForestI 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.
     

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  7. GreenEngineer Posted 2:04 am
    26 Sep 2006

    other optionsOr 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.

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  8. mihan's avatar

    mihan Posted 3:52 am
    26 Sep 2006

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

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  9. monkeydrumming Posted 9:14 am
    27 Sep 2006

    A possible solutionYou 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.)

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