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Scorecard grades toilet paper brands in terms of climate change impact
Ben Adler
Ben Adler·Senior Editor
Thu, September 15, 2022 at 5:58 PM·6 min read

Americans use an estimated 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper every year and the average consumer will go through the equivalent of 384 trees just for toilet paper in the course of a lifetime. Deforestation causes a range of environmental problems, including loss of wildlife habitats and biodiversity. It also contributes to climate change, since trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, which is the most common greenhouse gas.

Amid a growing interest in which brands use the best sustainability practices, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental advocacy organization, analyzed the sourcing of the largest brands of toilet paper, facial tissue and paper towels on the U.S. market. Its resulting scorecard, released on Wednesday, gives failing sustainability grades to most of the biggest household names.

The four-largest name brands in the country — Angel Soft, Charmin, Cottonelle, and Quilted Northern — all received an F.

“As this year’s scorecard shows, the largest tissue brands in America are failing the climate, communities, and biodiversity by continuing to create their products from forests like the Canadian boreal, which stores more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem,” wrote NRDC’s Ashley Jordan in a blog post explaining the ratings. The largest brands, she added, are made “almost exclusively from virgin forest fiber and fail to avoid sourcing from primary forests.”

Virgin forest fiber refers to any wood that has been cut down and used for the first time. Since cutting down trees releases the carbon dioxide stored within them, recycled paper has a much lower carbon footprint, as it only creates emissions from the energy used to manufacture and transport it. Tissues made from recycled paper create one-third of the carbon emissions of tissue made from virgin wood, according to the Environmental Paper Network’s Paper Calculator 4.0.

Of the 58 types of toilet paper scored by NRDC, 12 received either an A or A+ because they are made from post-consumer recycled paper. The vast majority of those are specifically eco-conscious products, including Green Forest, Natural Value, Nature’s Promise, Seventh Generation Soft and Strong, and Marcal 100% Recycled.

Sounds like a lot of $hit to me.

I fart every chance I get!

How does a Sears catalogue rate in the findings?

That’s a bunch of SH*T!

You should be runnoft for posting ANYTHING from the NRDC.

Well, I'm pretty sure it would be recognized that I cause climate change in the bathroom I am inhabiting while I poop.... not sure how far the effect is felt as my eyes are usually watering too much to see that far...

1 - I don't care if I do
2 - no TP was going to pass the test unless they wanted it to pass the test
3 - Charmin pulp don't come from Canada
4 - Trees are renewable, 350 trees in my lifetime? BFD - we'll plant more than that by noon in one season.

Lol!

I hope so. I would like to know I am making a difference.

All those tree huggers should be wiping their butts with dried corncobs- - - - -if they're not, they must be a bunch of hypocrites. Maybe they should move to a muzzy country where the left hand is "unclean"- - - -they don't use any paper at all!

Toilet paper is made from pulp wood. Lumber is made from trees.

Big old pretty trees are just about useless...except for tourism.


A young stand of planted timber planted in a mosaic pattern around the countryside is much better for the planet than old growth or "virgin" timber.


At least as far as the water and carbon cycles go.


Logging is good for the planet....not bad for the planet.

Under the NDAA, signed into law by Obama in 2012, the federal government has the unrestricted power to seize all food, farms, fuel, ammunition, commodities, fertilizer and anything else it deems to be a strategic national resource. All they need now is war.

Agreed. Fam's in the Christmas tree business past 100+ years. Get the occasional protesting hugger.

A 10 year old balsam produces more O2 than those big old trees and after 12, production goes down. One lady in particular was banging away and having a fit. Uncle looks at her and goes "You plant a tree for Arbor Day?" She was real proud she did.

He then informed her he planted 8000 - who was doing what for the air again?

Damn right.

Water used to recycle paper is far greater than first use. It takes more to clean that water, also.

3M 220 grit is softer than toilet paper made from recycled pizza boxes, just sayin’.

I will add this to the list of other things I don’t give a [bleep] about.

They should do like the goat fuqkers and wipe their ass with their hand.