Day 17: Everybody Poops

So, because the title is true, everyone needs toilet paper. 

I went to go buy some today at my local drug store and was faced with a plethora of different brands. I spent a few minutes contemplating what to do.

The "store brand" featured a package of  of 24 roles, and there was also a package of 12 roles of chlorine-free, recycled bathroom tissue with less packing and - both for about $6. From a financial standpoint you'd think that the store brand would be a better call, but after a little investigating, I found out that the recycled brand was actually the better call. 

Not only was the recycled TP made from 100% recycled fiber diverted from landfills, but each roll had 354 sheets on it - compared with the store brand that only had 150. So when you calculate it all out, the store brand 24-pack was 3600 -ish sheets of TP on  24 cardboard rolls with nearly twice as much plastic wrapping, compared to the recycled brand that had 4248 sheets on only 12 cardboard roles (and half the plastic wrapping!). If you think about it even more, since the whole package of the recycled brand was nearly half that of the store-brand, it took less room in the transport truck. 

In the end, I went for the 100% recycled, chlorine-free brand. So, I suppose my point for today is to do a little research on your products. My challenge is to spend a little bit more time contemplating the products that you buy and reading the labels and doing the math. Even when it comes to toilet paper.

Reading labels is also important for things that call themselves "green" - what does that really mean anyways? Be skeptical of things with labels like "natural", "green" and "safe" -they can mean just about anything and are often misused to mislead consumers.
David Suzuki's green guide gives these suggestions for finding more environmentally friendly products in the mess of trendy "greenwash"

"First, check for certification by a respected organization. Second, be skeptical about vague claims. [...] Third, look for specific details. The three green arrows symbol  and the word 'recycle' or 'recyclable' mean that a product is recyclable but not that it is made of recycled content. If the label says 'recycled', look for how much of the content is recycled. There's a big difference between 5% and 100%. Fourth, context is important. A 'recyclable' product won't be recycled unless it's included in your community program. A 'biodegradable' product will not biodegrade if you put it in the garbage, since even food and paper may not break down in landfills. You can get full details on all the various claims made on product labels from Consumer Reports at www.greenerchoices.org" (99)

 Have you made or had trouble making any similar decisions?

Happy Monday!