Household Paper Products—The Basics
Reading about the range of tissue, toilet paper and paper towel options can be confusing. But knowing the options can help you make decisions like “Is recycled TP for me?” Or “Do I care if my paper towels are ECF or PCF?”
The following are some basics on household paper options. We are sticking to the three most used: facial tissue, toilet paper and paper towels. But much of the same info is also valid for printer/copier paper, etc.
What Are Little Tissues Made of?
Most tissue products seem to break down into two main categories: those developed from virgin pulp (straight from the tree) and those that come from some percentage of post-consumer recycled paper. The exception to the rule is that some products are made from other, non-wood materials, like hemp, straw, cotton, jute, flax, sugar cane, bamboo, or kenaf —a fibrous plant.
Initials, Initials, Everywhere
When paper is categorized as ECF, TCF or PCF, the initials stand for the process used for bleaching. Nearly all paper goes through one of these processes.
Here’s how they breakdown:
ECF=Elemental Chlorine-free (virgin pulp bleached with a Chlorine derivative, like Chlorine dioxide.)
TCF=Totally Chlorine-free (virgin or recycled pulp either unbleached or bleached with something other than Chlorine, like oxygen-based chemicals.)
PCF= Processed-Chlorine-free (recycled pulp using no chlorine or chlorine derivatives in the recycling process.)
Once upon a time, elemental chlorine—re: bad, bad stuff—was used and it left some evil carcinogens and mutagens in its runoff as mill effluents. Recognizing this, the big guys developed ECF, a process using chlorine dioxide instead. While some argue that this still leaves dangerous elements in its wake, others (namely the Alliance for Environmental Technology, an “association of chemical manufacturers”) claim that “the environmental risks to aquatic ecosystems from ECF bleaching are negligible and there is no toxicological difference between wastewaters generated from ECF-based or TCF-based bleaching.” They counter that other processes, like TCF, require more trees to produce the same amount of product. Others claim that PCF may use some previously bleached paper as feedstock, and that the fibers may retain some Chlorine or Chlorine derivative. And so the mudslinging goes.
Green, Greener, Greenest
The debate continues over whether ECF is environmentally safe or just corporate coverage for a touchy topic. Meanwhile, many sources encourage consumers to opt for either TCF or PCF products. But even this choice can be tricky. PCF and TCF options can vary in percentage of recycled paper, leading some purists to suggest 100-percent recycled, with as much post-consumer materials as possible. Still others claim that the only truly green option is to use cloth—cotton (preferably organic), hemp, linen, or the now widely-available microfiber (made from polyester, nylon or other polymers.)
For the consumer, many other factors come into play, including the look, feel and performance of the products. Ultimately it’s all about what works for you, and if you can make choices that also help the environment, then all the better.
