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More environmentally friendly toilet paper options are starting to hit the market. But will they make a difference?

Toilet paper is just wasting Canada's boreal forest, says a U.S. environmental group. And now, more eco-friendly options are hitting the market, according to its latest paper and toilet paper report card.

But does your choice of toilet paper make a difference? The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), as well as forestry researchers and industry spokespeople, say there are a few things to consider when buying and using toilet paper.

What's the deal with tissues?

The NRDC evaluated 145 tissue products made for home use, across three categories: toilet paper, kitchen paper, and facial tissue. Its primary focus was toilet paper.

“Toilet paper is the ultimate single-use product. It is something we use for just a few seconds and then [throw] “gone forever,” says Ashley Jordan, co-author of the latest edition of NRDC’s annual report, The Issue with the Tissue.

Most toilet paper — not just in Canada but also in the U.S. — is made with pulp that “predominantly” comes from Canada’s boreal forests, the NRDC says.

Ashley Jordan works on advocacy related to Boreal Canada at NRDC.
Ashley Jordan works at NRDC on advocacy related to Canada's boreal forest. Photo by Kayla James

And remembering that is the largest remaining intact forest in the worldJordan said, valuable as both a wildlife habitat and a major carbon store and sink, it is “a terrible use of our natural resources,” he said.

Although trees are generally replanted in Canada's boreal forests after they are cut, logging results in short-term forest degradation — and Jordan says that impacts local plant and animal biodiversity “that can take decades to recover.”

Which options scored more eco-friendly this year?

Sixteen brands scored an A+ and 22 scored an A, for containing a high percentage of recycled content. That can include paper production waste like scraps and pieces, but brands that use post-consumer waste from recycling programs scored higher, since it diverts waste from landfills.

NRDC argues that sourcing toilet paper from Canadian forests is not a sustainable use of an essential resource.
NRDC argues that sourcing toilet paper from Canadian forests is not a sustainable use of an essential resource. (Jordan River/NRDC)

Recycled paper, in general, “will have one-third the carbon footprint and require half the water to produce of forest-fiber options,” Jordan said.

Another 28 brands received a B or B+, largely because they contain 100 percent bamboo certified by the Germany-based Forest Stewardship Council, considered the most stringent ecological certification for forest products. Bamboo is often considered more sustainable than other trees because it grows faster.

Whole Foods Market's “365 by Whole Foods Market, 100% Recycled” toilet paper, available at Whole Foods stores in Canada, earned one of the highest scores. The other top-scoring brands are mostly available only in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Kimberly-Clark, which makes brands like Cottonelle and Kleenex, has been praised for an ambitious new policy released this year to eliminate deforestation and forest degradation from its supply chain. The company also said it wants to eliminate virgin forest fibers from all its products.

NRDC has long advocated for the industry to adopt practices that help preserve Canada’s boreal forest. Its first toilet paper report in 2019 found that the three major U.S. toilet paper companies — Georgia Pacific, Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble — rely mostly on virgin forest fiber rather than recycled materials.

Six years later, a brand from Georgia Pacific earned the top spot — because it was made entirely from recycled paper — and Kimberly-Clark rose in the rankings because of its new policy.

Jordan says this reflects consumer demand: “To survive in this market, brands need to be able to deliver on both of those criteria: softness and sustainability.”

Do others agree about the negative effects of toilet paper?

The industry and many forestry researchers seem to fundamentally disagree with the NRDC's view of forest management in Canada. They argue instead that Canada's forests are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainability, and that wood products are renewable.

Harvesting and replanting forests allows them to “restart the carbon storage cycle,” said Derek Nighbor, president and CEO of industry group the Canadian Forest Products Association.

The Canadian Boreal is critical to the world's climate because of its enormous size and the amount of carbon it stores.
Canada's boreal forest is vital to the world's climate because of its enormous size and the amount of carbon it stores. (Jordan River/NRDC)

He added that toilet paper is made from old wood chips. As it ages, toilet paper is at risk of pests and disease, as well as being a wildfire hazard, he said, and is not suitable for making lumber or other building materials.

Mathew Leitch, a forestry professor at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., agrees, saying forestry in Canada uses the whole tree.

“Whether it's primary wood or residue from wood production, it all comes from sustainable forestry practices in this country,” he said.

Leitch points out that forestry companies are motivated to replant what they cut, to stay in business.

Getting replanting right is key to reducing the impact on forests, said Rafaella Mayrinck, a professor at the University of New Brunswick who specializes in silviculture, or the science of growing and regenerating forests.

He said young, replanted forests absorb carbon faster than mature forests, but take a long time to store as much carbon as mature forests.

Logging also disrupts forest plants and animals. However, with increasing research and corporate efforts to achieve sustainability targets, this damage can be minimized.

“People are not going to stop producing toilet paper because we need it,” he said.

“We need to find a balance… and also disturb the forest as little as possible.”

Are recycled and bamboo products really better?

For its report, NRDC relied on data from the Environmental Paper Network, which shows that products containing recycled paper generally have a lower carbon and water footprint.

However, whether that means they are more environmentally friendly depends on a number of factors, such as the availability of local recycled paper, says Mayrinck, who previously worked in the pulp and paper industry.

This can affect, for example, how much fuel is used to transport or ship recycled paper to manufacturing facilities.

He also notes that paper can only be recycled a few times, as the fibers get shorter and weaker each time they are recycled. That’s why most recycled toilet paper is mixed with new materials.

Recycled materials can also produce different paper textures, said Leitch, of Lakehead University.

“There are some people who don’t like recycled toilet paper because it’s not as soft,” he said. “Maybe [manufacturers] can improve this.”

As for bamboo, it grows in warmer areas of the world that may have different rules around sustainability. Everyone interviewed said the way it’s grown makes a difference. Both Leitch and Jordan recommend looking for FSC certification, which Jordan says is worth looking for in any type of toilet paper you buy.

What should consumers consider?

“These products are driven by supply and demand,” Leitch said, and if consumers demand recycled toilet paper, “companies will follow suit.” He doesn’t think that’s happening on a mass scale yet.

But Jordan said there has been a move toward greener choices in the six years he has been working on the scorecard. Nearly half of the 61 brands assessed this year, including many smaller ones, received an A or B grade.

“So, there are a lot of sustainable options available.”

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