12 March 2009

With what do you wipe your butt?

Guess I never really thought about the fact that we literally send trees down the toilet every day. It makes me want to stop pooping! Or figure out an alternative...

American taste for soft toilet roll 'worse than driving Hummers'

The tenderness of the delicate American buttock is causing more environmental devastation than the country's love of gas-guzzling cars, fast food or McMansions, according to green campaigners. At fault, they say, is the US public's insistence on extra-soft, quilted and multi-ply products when they use the bathroom.

Greenpeace offers a guide comparing recycled post-consumer vs. virgin paper pulp toilet papers here.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I particularly enjoy that your title is grammatically correct—and rhymes! "Green" TP, huh?

kathryn said...

Apparently most TP-using countries in the world predominantly consume the recycled stuff. As "eco-conscious" as some people here are (when it comes to marketing new, hybrid vehicles, for example), most Americans prefer fluffy tissue and don't think about its source. :-/

I would at least like to try the rough stuff, but I'm not sure where to find it. My guess is it's sold in organic-focused stores that we don't have in PA.

Unknown said...

I'm sure Whole Foods carries stuff like that. I know there are TONS in Colorado. As for PA, though, I think the nearest Whole Foods might be in Pittsburgh—or Maryland. :-/

kathryn said...

Haha... I think there may be one in Philly. Silly Giant and Wegmans and their meager organic sections...

Yvonne said...

Actually there are about 3 or 4 Whole Foods in Philly, and several others outside of Center City. :)

Also, my only beef with buying Green is that most organic/green products are much more expensive -- at least, that's the way it is here in Philly. I haven't checked the prices of paper towels or toilet paper, etc, though. But generally, that's the case. There's a push to be all green but it's hard to meet when you're grocery budget for the month is what most people spend in a week...