Is American demand for soft tissues for their tushes destroying the environment? Recently the use of “premium” toilet paper has decreased due to a slowdown in the economy, but the American love of luxury extended all the way to the waste paper they flushed down the toilet. Environmental groups were in an uproar, as usual, citing the need to return to corn husks and pine cones to save the world, while middle class Americans blissfully used pillowy soft fibers to clean up after their own mess. As usual, there was a version of truth somewhere in the middle, and both groups are right.
Environmental groups claim a high percentage of old growth forests that are irreplaceable habitats are destroyed to provide fiber for extra soft toilet tissue. The paper industry doesn’t disagree that paper equipment needs long fiber to make soft tissue, the longer fibers are easier to fluff for extra softness. It does scale the use at a lower percentage. Short fibers found in recycled material make rougher toilet tissue. The waste tonnage produced using new fiber is almost twice that of waste when using recycled paper. However, recycled paper leads to rougher toilet tissue.
The industry leaders cite consumer demand as a reason for promoting softer tissue, but there could be an argument that the marketing created a demand for softer tissue, or an additional product line that produced a higher profit margin for the company. In effect, people didn’t know what they were missing until they were told what they were missing. Once this new need was created, pulp and paper equipment had to be redirected create a product that satisfied that need.
Throughout history people have used a variety of items for personal sanitary reasons, including all kinds of paper, and in some cultures, even their hands. The invention of cheap, durable toilet paper is one of the highlights of an advanced civilization. But seriously, how soft does the tissue really need to be? Are American tushes so sensitive that they can’t tolerate a recycled tissue?
Since tissue is used to wipe noses, tear stained eyes as well as more sensitive areas, softness is a need. Industry leaders need to work with existing paper equipment and research how to make softer tissue from easily renewable resources like bamboo or quick growth trees with a shorter life cycle. Only then will environmentalists and consumers start to see eye to eye on an important issue about bottoms.
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