Babbling Brooks

There are many alternatives to Kleenex and other tissue products that come from ancient forests, including products by Cascades, Wood Wyant, and Marcal. These products are available across the U.S. and Canada (and many other countries as well), and are made by both large and small companies. They are also available in large volumes.

Jobs are obviously a huge issue. While I don't have all the answers, I do know that sustainable forest practices mean that there will be more jobs available for a longer time. Careful and sustainable logging requires more workers and safer working conditions. Also, plants that process recycled pulp require just as many workers as those that process virgin tree pulp, thus having no negative impact on workers.

Many corporations have taken steps in the right direction by making environmental commitments to buy sustainably harvested wood and increase the use of recycled paper. Companies who have progressive procurement policies include Random House Canada, Raincoast Books, Home Depot, Office Depot, B&Q, Lowe's, and Cascades, to name a few. These companies believe that it makes both economic and environmental sense to reduce their impact on the planet.

Be wary of claims put forward by those who have a financial stake in the product. Be responsible and investigate the products that you use on a daily basis. Gather your research from various sources including environmental, social-justice, and consumer advocacy organizations.

Yes, it does get complicated when you add more than one issue to a decision-making process! There are choices that allow you to be a cruelty-free and ancient-forest friendly consumer though. Use consumer shopping guides (like Greenpeace's Guide to Ancient Forest Friendly Tissue Products) to help make informed choices.

As far as I know, there has not been a study conducted on the quality of various recycled tissue products. And just because a product is recycled doesn't mean it is rough. Different brands use different technologies, resulting in softer or rougher products.

Both the CSA and ISO 14001 certification schemes are systems designed by industry for industry. They are quite weak and do not protect forests, nor the wildlife that inhabit them. In fact, large-scale clear-cutting, logging in endangered species' habitat, and the continued use of pesticides are allowed under CSA, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and ISO 14001 systems. The Forest Stewardship Council eco-certification is the only certification system currently supported by most environmental groups like Greenpeace. More information about the differences in these systems is available in the On the Ground report [PDF].

I am not sure about options for doors specifically, but for general home renovations, try to find reclaimed wood products or Forest Stewardship Council eco-certified wood.

First of all, I would recommend gathering what knowledge you can about the availability and cost of recycling services for businesses in your city. Then I suggest you speak with other employees in your workplace and seek out some "allies" who can form an environmental committee. Next, speak to your boss and ask her/him if s/he would be willing to start an office waste recycling program to be initially coordinated through this committee.

Have you thought of finding other concerned citizens and starting a citizens' group?

In North America, the sale of vegetarian products has skyrocketed in the last decade, which I think is a good and hopeful sign. I hope that more and more people are making the link between the environment and the food that they eat. I also hope that environmental organizations like Greenpeace soon begin to look more closely at this issue and champion proper food choices as a way to help the environment.

No, surprisingly I haven't found it to be. It does have great access to outdoor activities, more bike paths, and cleaner air than my previous home of Toronto, but many other cities in North America seem to be far more environmentally friendly (and certainly there are many that are much worse!). For example, Toronto has recycling bins on every street, recently instituted a curbside food-waste collection program for composting from area homes and businesses, and is working to ban the use of pesticides in both parks and homeowners' lawns and gardens. Vancouver has a lot further to go before it can be called a "green" city.