Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: House Of Sims

Heralded as the epitome of sleek and modern, the idea of the paperless office or even the paperless society has been around since computers first appeared on the scene. And yet, we are still using paper—and a lot of it. According to Lyra Research, about 15.2 trillion pages are printed worldwide, a number that will reportedly grow 30% over the next ten years.

For its proponents, going paperless means less clutter, improved efficiency, lower costs and environmental benefits. Indeed, the idea of eliminating the mounds of papers that inevitably accumulate as we go about our daily lives certainly sounds appealing. And, electronic junk mail, while similarly distracting (and generally more pornographic), seems more easily discarded than traditional paper junk mail that often requires a thorough going-through before tossing it into the trash or recycle bin. So, too, the technical capabilities of document management systems and flash drives have made it easier to store and manage large and numerous files rather than have hard copy printouts. This rings true in business and private life, as anybody with a digital camera can attest. Electronic technology is also faster—no more “snail mail” or worries about the ever-increasing postage rate.

As for the environmental benefits, going paperless means the ultimate in waste and natural resource prevention. According to the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), the U.S. alone manufactures 90 million tons of paper each year, and the annual consumption rate is about 100 million tons. Most of this paper production—an estimated 25% of the annual U.S. timber cut—remains virgin fiber, with only 35% of current consumption using recycled fiber.

Despite all of these advantages, the paper just keeps piling up. Why? (more…)

Compared to Bounty, this brand from Whole Foods won’t win on performance or softness. But next to other recycled paper towels, 365 Everyday Value is a contender true to its name.

First off, they are pretty inexpensive—two rolls for less than $2.00. Second, they are surprisingly durable. They aren’t going to be able to do any of those neat tricks we used to see on paper towel commercials, but I was able to wet/soap one, clean sticky kid hands, rinse same towel off and use for last wipe on fingers. And they are somewhat absorbent, removing a moderate amount of Grape juice (purple not white) off of the floor in a flash. Not bad for a recycled product.

Another bonus: 100 percent recycled materials, with a minimum 80 percent post-consumer content, and bleached without chlorine—that’s enough to make you feel downright good about yourself.

While they sometimes tear in half when you need them whole, and don’t immediately instill confidence that one, maybe two sheets will do the job, they do pretty well. Still, I may not be completely converted from my beloved Bounty. But this may also be because I don’t live all that close to a Whole Foods. Were there one next door, I may opt for this all the time. For now, I plan to stock up when I’m near Whole Foods and try to rely on Bounty as an option between trips. We’ll see how it goes.

PS- Liking the toilet paper, too. Go Whole Foods!

To help consumers make educated choices, the National Resources Defense Fund created a Shopper’s Guide to home tissue products. (This chart is replicated on many other sites.) Check it out, along with some stats on how changing old habits can help the planet, here: http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp

Greenpeace also has a tissue products guide with similar suggestions here: http://tissue.greenpeace.ca/

Further justifying my decision to be a jerk and use Bounty, Katharine Wroth from Grist.org conducted a test pitting five recycled paper towel brands against each other. Wroth threw in a roll of Bounty as a control. The results: No other brand surpassed our household favorite in performance or feel. But in all fairness to the other competitors, I do plan to check out the 365 Everyday Value brand from Whole Foods, which stood up well for the price. It may also be the most affordable item that Whole Food sells. And if it works well enough, I may just be convinced to switch from Bounty, after all. For more on Wroth’s experiment and results, check out her post at: http://www.grist.org/advice/products/2008/04/22/index.html

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.

After giving birth to my kid, I realized that the onslaught of unwarranted advice, not to mention the info available via the Internet, was only going to serve to drive me crazy. Reading about conserving natural resources or preventing Global Warming can feel the same way. Although it all sounds great, in theory, it’s just not practical to do all of it.

You have to do what works for you.

At this point, I figure any effort is better than none. So, and I’m embarrassed to say this was in part Oprah episode inspired, I headed out one weekend to procure my microfiber cloths and enviro-friendly cleaning products. I also stocked up on TP and paper towels (green brands only.)

While I latched on quickly to some products (Seventh Generation makes the best baby laundry detergent ever and the Method cucumber dish soap makes you want to do dishes so badly it must have crack in it), others fell short, way short, of our household needs.

The toilet paper was flimsy…and it kinda hurt. And the paper towels just plain sucked.

I really wanted to love them. I wanted to be a full-on, preferably 100-percent post-consumer recycled, convert. But it was hard to overlook that “clean ups” that could be cleared with one measly half-sheet of Bounty took multiple, and I mean multiple, sheets of the recycled product. How could it be better to use half a roll of paper, even if it is recycled?

Harkening back to a time when my roommate was an Environmental Studies major, I began to imitate her practice of making half sheets of my beloved Bounty into quarters and tearing off only a corner for really little spills. It was a bit pathetic.

Then I learned something essential. Something that seemed to give me license, almost, to use the paper towel of my choice. My local waste management company, and their handy three-bin refuse method, composts paper towels. (They also accept pizza boxes. God Bless ‘em.)

In my world of many, many “clean ups,” this was a true epiphany. But when I shared my discovery with an associate (Tim), adding that I felt a whole lot less guilty about how many paper towels we used as a household, I was told (albeit humorously) that I’d become (a jerk) about it.

And maybe I have. Maybe I suck suckity suck for sticking with Bounty or Brawny or Scott (although I’m not really a fan of Scott, either). But taking advantage of the local composting program has had a dramatic effect on the trash bins in our kitchen. What used to fill up first (the garbage bound for landfill/incineration) is now the least frequent export to the garage trashcans. Compost and recycling fill regularly, and I almost feel good about it.

So, I’m a jerk, maybe, but to further justify my ECF paper towel addiction, I’ve made a concerted effort to find a recycled toilet paper that, well, doesn’t chafe or turn into little rolled up balls mid-wipe. And I did. But that’s another story.