Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day I am going to discuss toilet paper.

Did you know that the majority of toilet tissue is made from big, beautiful virgin trees? The virgin wood pulp provides longer strands and makes the paper softer and thicker. When it comes to toilet paper we like soft and thick. I don't know about you, but it bothers me to think of all those lovely trees being used for nothing more noble than wiping our behinds.

Several companies make toilet paper and other paper products from 100% recycled paper. For the past year we have been using these recycled paper brands. It works just fine. It is soft enough to be comfortable and strong enough to do job it was intended to do. It is an easy way to honor Earth Day. It is good for the environment.

If every household in the U.S. Replaced one 4-pack virgin fiber toilet tissue with 100% recycled paper product we could save:
1,267,000 trees
458 million gallons of water, a year's supply for 3,500 families of four
3.2 million cubic feet of landfill spaces, equal to over 4,600 full garbage trucks

 Trees
 
I THINK that I shall never see
 A poem lovely as a tree.
  
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
 Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
   
A tree that looks at God all day,
 And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
   
A tree that may in summer wear
 A nest of robins in her hair;
   
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
 Who intimately lives with rain.
  
Poems are made by fools like me,
 But only God can make a tree.

7 comments:

Barb said...

I try to be a good recycler. I recycle bottles, cans, newspaper and I have a compost pile in which I put all coffee grounds, grass clippings and green veggie garbage. I use the compost in my gardens each spring. I also use recycled coffee filters. Oh, and when I go shopping I take my fabric bag instead of bringing hope plastic or paper bags. I think I am doing my job for Mother Earth!

Jennie said...

Interesting. I will try some of that TP next time I see it. I use Scott, not so soft but it lasts long. Some of those cushy brands seem to only have a few uses per roll! lol I'm just thankful we don't need to use newspaper like my great grandfather's outhouse.

Middle Child said...

I was raised using squares of torn up newspaper for toilet paper...being a countyr girl... we didn't have a flushing toilet till I left home at 17. I only buy Delsey toilet paper rough as guts, but cheap, and a thousand sheets a roll...australian made and owned and and made from recycled paper
No virgin trees died to wipe my bottom... if my child bottome could take newspaper and print...surely a bit of rough toilet paper won't hurt.

Miss Healthypants said...

Wow, you really made me think. REALLY. Thanks for that. :)

Random Thinker said...

I'll do my part. My behind is not so picky.

yellowdoggranny said...

In answer to where I get the pictures and cartoons?...I steal them..haha..but mostly I get them from stumble.com and click on humor..there are a ton of funny stuff out there..the animal ones i get from lolcats.com icanhazcheeseburgerz..etc..if you want the websites let me know and i'll get them for you..thanks for stopping by...

Lorraine said...

Mom, I must wipe. But this post reminded me of the time that my brand newly built elementary school had a tree planting ceremony and mucky mucks came for same and all the students sang that Kilmer poem set to music. And I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree and I also think I shall never be able to not sing that line.