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More Info: 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.
Question: Would you be willing to substitute a cheap brand of toilet paper for the one in your bathrooms now, to protect virgin forests?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Joker on February 27 at 12:26 p.m.
No way. I like my toilet paper like I like my women. Soft and smooth.
hhuseland on February 27 at 12:32 p.m.
There flat isn’t any savings at all by buying the cheap stuff. You can either roll out a small amount of double quilted, or three times as much of the single ply. Still end up with what you need and there is absolutely no savings. Extremism run amuck. These jerks can stay out of my bathroom.
Incognito on February 27 at 12:48 p.m.
Toilet paper comes from pulp. Trees that can not be turned into logs are pulp. It is a by product of logging. Seriously, they are not logging down old growth timber for toilet paper. The forests are being managed by the States Governments and for the most part, they are doing a fine job.
poolman on February 27 at 2:10 p.m.
OK - I’m going to provide a little information on this - as usual - no charge.
Manufactures primarily use hardwood pulp to make toilet paper. Hardwood fiber is much shorter in length than softwood (pine, fir). This short fiber length imparts bulk and smoothness which gives the perception of softness. Softwood content is kept to an absolute minimum and is only moderately used to impart enough strength to efficiently manufacture and convert the tissue.
Most of the hardwood pulp used in toilet paper today is eucalyptus. Eucalyptus is predominantly grown / farmed like a crop in vast regions of South America. These are engineered farming systems – not rainforest growth. Generally speaking, the higher the hardwood content the higher the quality of the TP. Low grade stuff typically would contain more softwood fiber and in general would feel rougher and be less absorbent. Also –it should be noted that in the NW there are not enough indigenous hardwood trees to commercially harvest. We mostly grow softwood species in these parts.
So - here is the deal - if want to save a tree in North America, particularly in the NW, use higher end toilet paper and less of the cheap stuff and feel good that it is being made with a totally renewable resource.
Cabbage Boy on February 27 at 2:22 p.m.
Wow, Thanks poolman. Of course, trips to the loo will never be the same now as I analyze the differences between hardwood and softwood pulp as it relates to squeezable softness.
Liz on February 27 at 2:37 p.m.
now where’s Mr Whipple when you need him???
Joker on February 27 at 2:37 p.m.
Some people read the sports pages, poolman squeezes the Charmin.
poolman on February 27 at 3:18 p.m.
Joker - Charmin is the best product money can buy. Procter and Gamble has this stuff figured out better than anyone. And you can be sure they are not sharing their information with the yahoo’s that came up with this story.
Escapee on February 27 at 6:03 p.m.
You know it’s a low grade of toilet paper if you get splinters in Highly Sensitive Areas.
LukeB on February 28 at 12:58 p.m.
“Eucalyptus is predominantly grown / farmed like a crop in vast regions of South America. These are engineered farming systems – not rainforest growth.”
Uh huh. Because they only use previously empty land to grow these trees.