"Steadily increasing demand for toilet paper in developing countries is a critical factor in the impact that toilet paper manufacturers have on forests around the world," writes Noelle Robbins in the latest issue of World Watch magazine, published by the Worldwatch Institute think-tank.
Continued growth in the large traditional markets of North America, Western Europe and Japan is now coupled with "substantial growth" in emerging markets in Asia, particularly in China, Latin America and Russia, she writes, citing a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.
According to the paper, the equivalent of some 27,000 trees' worth of toilet paper is flushed away every day worldwide, representing 10% of the almost 270,000 trees that are either flushed away or dumped in landfills every day.
Amid growing concern over deforestation, the choice between the source and production of toilet tissue - virgin pump or recycled – is therefore becoming ever more important, Robbins notes.
"While the paper industry often touts plantations as the solution to creating an ongoing supply of virgin pulp and fiber, these monocultures often displace indigenous plant and animal life, require tremendous amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, and soak up large quantities of water," Robbins writes.
She also cites advocates of recycled toilet paper who argue that converting recycled paper to toilet paper requires less water than the process of using virgin pulp, and gives a second life to the tons of already used paper dumped in landfills.
In order to meet growing demand, she suggests boosting consumer education on sustainable consumption and improving quality, pricing and marketing of recycled products. One should also "consider toilet paper alternatives such as water for cleansing," she adds.
