You need to move to Japan where you can choose from a number of different bidets and buy toilet paper without tubes.
11
Ok picture this scenario: you are outside in the garden. You come inside to wash the mud off your hands. Will you wash them with water or will you wipe them off with paper? Pretty sure I know your answer. Get a bidet and forget about the paper. Wiping is uncivilized.
12
Move to France. Tubeless TP is standard.
6
Isn't anyone concerned about surface space? Regular toilet paper hangs handily on the vertical space near my toilet. If I used coreless TP, I'd have to use precious counter space for the TP!
I think in Taiwan I've seen rolls of tubeless toilet tissue used as restaurant table top tissue - on its side, wrapped in plastic with a hole in the middle, you just pull up some tissue and rip it off - cheap, convenient
This article has really struck a chord. Seems the Reddit MAGA mansplainers have arrived!
2
Get a Toto and use water. Less paper.
5
Tree free toilet paper please!
The roll can go in compost as many have commented. Or no roll.
Now about that plastic bag that my NYT comes in...any good solutions for that?
3
Get a bidet & a stash of wash cloths to dry with.
5
Most people in the world have always used water for washing their buts., and most in India, Near East, and much of Africa and Southeast Asia still do. Why do we insist on what the people in cold northern China invented, toilet paper? I squat on the pot (if there is not a floor-level toilet to squat on, which is still preferred by many in much of the world). In most public planes and many homes, whichever kind of toilet they use, there is a hose beside each toilet, Press it gently, upwards on you and you are done. If not, there is a bucket of water and a dipper. Pour it and wipe your but with your hand, no problem as the hand remains cleaned.
I will never waste trees for toilet paper in y life.
4
Bamboo toilet paper works well and doesn't use trees.
3
"70 percent of us bunch" - Crazy. As an European I was really upset with my 5 year old for doing exactly that. He was almost using a roll of paper to clean himself.
But you know what is ecological? Japanese style with a nice shower of warm water. It even cleans better and it is a cleaner business. :)
2
Emily, I agree with Ross. Do everyone a favor and promote a $30 gadget that attaches to the water intake line of your toilet tank so that you can WASH you tush instead of wiping it. Then put an attractive basket of washcloths within easy reach - we keep ours on the toilet tank - for drying. Put them in the washer with other towels and a little bleach. NO TOILET PAPER.
3
Here in Austria (or all of europe?) Zewa produces core free toilet paper and advertises the fact that each roll has twice as many sheets as the rolls with cardboard cores. They don't seem to have any problem selling them so I have no idea why Scott has given up.
1
Only use Scott traditional. Anything else with softeners will jam up your plumbing. Sorry but that's the truth. Get a bidet for real cleanliness.
4
I was also a BIG fan of the tubeless toilet paper. Once again, too good to last. It is the small things that could make a difference.
1
Get a Tushy Bidet. It’s easy to install and it’s cleaner than using paper.
1
Dear Emily,
I think I have a solution to your issue around tubeless toilet paper
In Texas we have a grocery store called H.E.B They have a wonderful HEB brand tubeless toilet roll which is an extra toilet paper to go roll instead of the tube. Very popular, no tube and extra TP. Comes in single & double ply. $6 for 12pack. Soft too.
Heres a link. ENJOY!
https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-twice-as-soft-plus-to-go-rolls-toilet-paper/2194236
ed carter
Austin, TX.
2
We thought it was just us! Scott tube free was our go to tp. Thanks for researching this. Nobody recycles those cardboard tubes. We are convinced the cardboard lobby is behind this.
3
Remember the homemaker maven who in her daily
column once recommended storing your electrical
cords in the TP cardboard tube with an ID label.
With all the Tech products in our homes today...
It’s still relevant and thank you Heloise.
2
It seems slightly silly to obsess about the tiny extra waste caused by the tube when you could easily and cheaply dispense with toilet paper almost completely by purchasing a bidet attachment for your toilet. Our family uses almost no toilet paper since we switched to bidets about 15 years ago; just a square here and there for drying (and I hear that there are fancy bidets with drying attachments).
As an added bonus you will be much much much cleaner down there. I now find the idea of using toilet paper revolting (as do most people from cultures that use water).
4
What about the daily and MASSIVE pile of garbage that we receive in the mailbox everyday ? The one that we apparently will never be able to halt ? Why are WE responsible for the endless pounds of junk mail ? And why is it legal to have our boxes filed ? We have to collect it and pay to dump it. It goes from box to trash, box to trash ,infinitum. It is insane
1
Wouldn’t a bidet be a less stressful option?
2
There are plenty of recycled toilet paper products on the market besides that from Seventh Generation, Ms. Flitter, including several varieties from Markal (including commercial versions that are very densely rolled and last forever), and a very economical house brand from Target. I'm glad you got over your obsession with tubeless rolls and recognized the main issue is what the product is made from.
1
I got the habit of folding toilet paper at overnight camp.
Because we had outhouses with pits, we were only allowed a few sheets at a time. If you wadded it up, well, the results were not good.
This article really misses the point! If you're not going to use a bidet, only buy toilet paper and facial tissues made entirely of recycled paper.
Something like 1 million acres of Canada's boreal forests are clear cut annually. That's where your toilet paper is coming from, Canada's forests! Canada is losing its native forests at a rate only behind Russia and Brazil.
It takes more chemistry and produces three times as much greenhouse gas and more sulfur dioxide to turn wood into nice soft paper, than recycling paper into more paper. Turning wood into toilet paper irequires twice as much water and huge amounts of chlorine bleach.
Unless your toilet paper is made from recycled paper, you're flushing Canadian boreal forests down your toilet every time you flush, not to mention contributing to global warming and probably contributing to the Koch brothers' vast wealth!
4
Bidet! Bidet! Bidet! $35.
You'll never look back.
Or reach back.
2
Here's a helpful info sheet from NRDC:
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/issue-tissue-how-americans-are-flushing-forests-down-toilet-report.pdf
However, this only addresses the toilet paper itself and not the packaging. I recently switched to Natural Value singles wrapped in paper after years of using Seventh Generation and thinking the plastic it came in was getting recycled. I agree with others though that the next step is to buy a Toto Washlet. After using one at a vacation rental we're converts.
1
If you actually care about saving trees, try not using toilet paper at all! That’s what most of the world does. I was surprised you didn’t that mention that at all in this article. Using water is more hygenic and eliminates paper waste all together. If children in eastern countries can handle it I’m sure yours can too. Install a bidet and get over your unnecessary toilet paper.
1
I kept thinking that this was reading as such a ridiculous complaint that someone is so concerned about the tube and not what the actual paper is made from until finally, at the end, an extremely important point was made. Buy products with post-consumer recycled content (PCR) !!!!!
2
Worse than the recyclable cardboard tube is the plastic packaging around toilet paper. I used to recycle it with other plastic packaging at my grocery store, but I'd guess that most just trash it. Now I buy bulk toilet paper that is individually wrapped in paper and packed in a box, the stuff used in offices and restaurants etc. Yes, a lot of paper wrappers, but they can be recycled or composted, unlike plastic. Always a trade off...
Thank you! I loaded up on $300 of Scott's roll free from Amazon when we found out it was discontinued. We still have a supply, but I will indeed be grieving when we get to the last one.
1
If you're a gardener who wants to get an early start, toilet paper rolls and other cardboard rolls make excellent short containers for your soil and seeds. They compost in the garden or in your patio pots.
1
I’d never seen the Scott tube-free TP, but we used a tube-free bamboo TP. I loved that the rolls were smaller (took up less space) but that product has also been dc’d. So frustrating.
7 generation makes a recycled non bleached TP which we use but we have to go to a local store to buy, the big chains don't want to bother with. Look around for the best environmental products.
Thanks so much for all the research and writing this piece. I have been pining for my tube free and we just finished the last we had. The first word in the environmental mantra is REDUCE! It’s sad to me that even the environmental brands aren’t practicing what they preach.
Please be clear on where paper comes from. Not from forests but from tree farms, just like vegetables and such. Hard woods used in much furniture comes from forests so one should be concerned about that.
1
Why no mention here of hemp? In all my research the only reason I can find for hemp not being used to replace the use of trees is MONEY. It is more costly to process. So, when all the trees are gone and shrubs are all that is left someone will say Gee, maybe we should have found a way to use hemp.
1
If most bathrooms didn't already have the traditional, thick TP roller, and had a thin roller, more people would use Scott Tube-Free. In my home, toilet A has the traditional TP holder with the inch-thick, spring-thing to put the TP roll on. So we use regular toilet paper there. Toilet B has a thin hook for Toilet Paper (it's about the thickness of a Bic pen), so we use Tube Free TP there. The only reason we don't use Scott Tube-Free in toilet A is because it takes time and effort to get Tube Free onto the thick roller.
1
I'm all for fighting the climate battle on all fronts but it would be nice to see some focus on issue scale. In the worse case scenario cardboard tubes will degrade in a landfill within a few generations. Some single use plastics are expected to persist 1,000 years. While I applauded social thoughtfulness in all purchasing decisions we really need to focus our efforts where we get the most bang for your buck. While our patchwork of local electric utilities mean options vary but my bet is you can buy carbon neutral power for about the same price per month as the special toilet paper. Check it out on your electric companies website. If I'm right your environmental spend will have bought you hundreds of times the positive impact. Best hopes for a future of environmental justice!
1
The Grove company sells toilet paper made from bamboo that is delivered to your door in a box made from recycled paper. It does have a cardboard tube in each roll, but the paper itself is not made from trees. You might want to investigate that one.
3
Bidets, think bidets! Environmentally friendly,, no trees destroyed, easily installed, locally manufactured with non-toxic, non plastic porcelain and stainless steel.
And so soooothing to use. They are ubiquitous here in Italy, with many claiming that their use contributes to Italians' sunny dispositions..
3
Quirky, interesting article. I really enjoyed it! I wanted to share that I save my toilet paper tubes and stuff them with lint from the drier. They make excellent fire starters. In addition, I use them to start my seedlings, specifically sunflower seeds, because the rodents can't get to the sweet tender sapling as it starts to grow. Not everything has to be tossed. We just have to use our imagination.
18
The width of toilet paper rolls has also shrunk. Ever notice how much wider the toilet tissue holder is than the roll? That's because the manufacturers of holders have not changed the dimensions since they were standardized decades ago, but the paper makers have played this trick of deceiving the consumer into believing they are offering more product when it is actually less product. Remember when Haagen Dazs came in pints? Now it comes in 14 oz. containers with false bottoms. And long before that, standard one-pound cans of ground coffee became 13 ounce cans without making the can smaller. Thirty-two ounce bottles of Hellman's mayonnaise now come in 30 ounce bottles. While this may not be as bad as telling the public that smoking is good for you, it is consonant with American business practices to deceive the public.
4
@mls Sugar is now 4 pound and tuna 5.5 oz. Most recently yogurt. The cost of groceries per visit hasn't change in 20 years, see no inflation, but the number of visits doubled.
The paper and the tubes are derived from fast growing trees cultivated specifically for paper. They are replanted at the same rate they are harvested. Worrying about saving trees is a myth. It no different then worrying about saving potatoes.
9
This is perhaps the zenith of ridiculousness. There are so many better uses of time and intellectual effort than this.
7
600 year old trees...this is actually a pretty important topic.
3
Try this store-brand, tubeless paper from HEB:
https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-twice-as-soft-plus-to-go-rolls-toilet-paper/2194236.
The reason Europeans fold versus wadding dates back to well into the 1960s or possibly its prewar.
In every restaurant, hotel, railcar watercloset, you name it , my family only encountered TP sheet-paper dispensors. Nothing in roll format. Ever.
Alot of those sheets--slicked like the wax paper you bake cookies on--you just can't wad.
I have a wonderful collection of toilet paper samples from our family tours thru Europe in the mid 20th century. I wish there was a museum I could donate them to.
46
@mary - While in London in the 1960's, I encountered
tp with each crispy square stamped "Property of the
British Government."
12
@mary A visitor to London, where I lived in the 1970's, left the following pinned to my bulletin board on his departure:
I went to the W.C.
It was just as they said it would be.
The paper unnatural
was really so scratcheral
it made quite an impression on me.
7
@mary My mother collected TP sheets from all over the world during her travels. She even cataloged them. When she died, that was one of the few things my older brother kept from her estate. It was so “mom”.
9
How come humans are the only animals that need toilet paper ?
3
I concur with the Bidet Brigade. We just installed a Toto toilet and are thrilled with its efficiency and functionality. MUCH LESS PAPER used and one is clean and fresh after each use. Plus it uses much less water to flush and senses when one has done number one or two so that it flushes appropriately. May I comment that one must have been raised by wolves to “bunch” paper rather than tidily fold?
6
"Roughly 70 percent of us bunch, while 90 percent of them fold."
My God. This cannot be true. Who bunches? Yikes.
Time to bring back the Sears Catalog?
2
Time to bring back the Sears catalog?
we switched to this Scott product, Scott Essential Professional 100% Recycled Fiber Bulk Toilet Paper for Business (13217), 2-PLY Standard Rolls, White, 80 Rolls / Case, 506 Sheets / Roll...it is about half the cost of 7th generation, but i am not real clear on the details of its 'recycled fiber' merit....but it was an upgrade (functionally and environmentally) from its predecessor, Scott 1000...all of us, let's use something that is recycled, or (unless your wife is like mine) get a bidet...
There is another factor to consider here ---- you can fit more of that kind of paper into a truck.
Stop ordering from Amazon what you can buy locally. One cardboard box for a widget that is packed in bulk for the local retailer is enough to save fifty, maybe a hundred TP tubes.
7
Why are you not campaigning for a bidet on every toilet? It is cleaner more sanitary and would cut paper usage by at least 50%!! I installed one for about $50 4 or 5 years ago and now I wouldn't live without one!! forget about "paper tubes" and think about saving many, many rolls of paper!!
6
We are barbarians compared to the Japanese and their Toto. It cleans like a bidet, has a heated seat, dries and even plays music for when the going gets rough.
5
I just use baby wipes because it's a fact that I'll face a rent increase annually and hey, nothing in this life is free :D
1
I installed an under the seat bidet recently, and I buy bamboo toilet paper that comes wrapped in paper for drying purposes. Some people use washable rags for drying but I’m not quite ready for that yet. It cuts down TP use significantly though - a roll lasts me about 6 weeks. And bamboo grows really quickly so no 600 year old trees are being cut down.
60
@Adelaide Absolutely. I came here to say that. A $40 investment that pays dividends.
8
My understanding is that boxboard material is no longer economically recyclable. Some communities still require that it be separated, but it ends up in landfill anyway. Not everything that we try to recycle avoids landfills.
18
@Alan Glasser
Alan, my hometown papermill recycles cardboard. Clearwater Paper
1
What irks me the most is that the diameter of the cardboard tubes has been steadily increasing over the years so you get less toilet paper and even more unnecessary cardboard tube. Just another trick by manufacturers to fool people into thinking they're getting more but are actually getting less -- looks like a big roll but in fact the center is unfilled. (like the hollow bottoms on peanut butter jars and half filled boxes of cereal.) On some rolls, the width of the toilet paper is almost the same width of the hollow core. So we are paying more for less usable product, and at the same time wasting more cardboard. A lose for consumers, but win for the corporations.
36
@jenn
The width of toilet paper rolls has also shrunk. Ever notice how much wider the toilet tissue holder is than the roll? That because the manufacturers of holders have not changed the dimensions since they were standardized decades ago, but the paper makers have played this trick of deceiving the consumer into believing they are offering more product when it is actually less product. Remember when Haagen Dazs came in pints? Now it comes in 14 oz. containers with false bottoms. And long before that, standard one-pound cans of ground coffee became 13 ounce cans without making the can smaller. Thirty-two ounce bottles of Hellman's mayonnaise are now 30 ounce bottles. While this may not be as bad as telling the public that smoking is good for you, it is consonant with American business practices to deceive the public.
15
I installed a bidet several years ago and I'm never going back. It cost only $50 and ensures complete cleanliness. I shudder each time I have to use a public restroom now. It does not, however eliminate the need for paper. One still needs to dry. The top end bidets do have blow driers, but those are prohibitively expensive and you need an electric outlet near the toilet for power.
28
@KB It's worth it. I have a Japanese one with heated seat and water jet and blow dry. Bliss. Installed it myself and didn't take that much effort and getting a new power point to it wasn't that problematic. Even flushes and opens and closes the lid by itself. You will save money not buying toilet paper but you are right the toilet is not cheap so pay back time would be some years. However, with Japan replacing all toilets with 'smart' toilets coming up to the Olympics production is massive and you can get some significant savings.
12
@KB I agree wholeheartedly. Don’t know why you don’t see them more in US homes. They can be gross for visitors who don’t know why there are three washcloths drying on the rim.
4
@Billbo I'm not an expert on the subject, but I read that NYC has to import all the water it uses from elsewhere. Most of that water passes through upstate areas that are under severe water restriction 12 months of the year.
3
So many ecological concerns and the compostable paper tube in my roll of TP is not even on my list. An answer to the non reusable, non recyclable, non compostable toothpaste tube would be a real solution. Just saying. Dream big.
109
and BTW, I just drove through the timber lands of our PNW coast and saw not one old growth log on any logging truck. No one is cutting 600 yo trees for tp rolls. Even in the day, 600 years would have been a stretch. I love spotted owls, but I'm just saying.
18
@Andi Most of that logging is happening in northern Canada.
6
@Andi I have been thinking about trying the toothpaste tablets that keep popping up for me on Facebook.
2
Toilet paper (and other tissue products) is a forest destroyer.
Despite their lip service to leadership, innovation and sustainability, big TP manufacturers like Procter & Gamble and its Charmin brand toilet paper source at least some of their 100% virgin fiber from Canadian forests. P&G is destroying Canadian boreal forest for its single-use tissue products like Charmin toilet paper, Bounty paper towels, and Puffs tissues. These forests are home to Indigenous communities and iconic species like caribou. Plus, P&G’s leadership refuses to add recycled fiber to its tissue products. A company that prides itself on technical innovation and sustainability leadership should do the right thing. Real sustainability requires doing what’s right. It requires ensuring raw materials are sourced responsibly and avoid hurting human rights or the planet. The world needs environmentally responsible toilet paper - paper that doesn’t destroy forests, paper that doesn’t hurt endangered species, paper that is made from paper, not from trees. Please join us in telling P&G to stop flushing our forests.
13
Thanks for the article. I too am concerned about the environment. But, there was not a word on the PAPER in "toilet paper," where does that paper come from? Forests. We are literally flushing our forests down the toilet, daily. In your research, did you find out about bamboo-made toilet paper? Bamboo grows in like a week, and is incredibly sustainable compared to trees. Except, if we introduce bamboo (what would be an invasive species) onto farms in America, that would aggravate the eco-system that has been in balance for thousands of years (read, "Nature's Best Hope," by Douglas W. Tallamy). Let us continue asking the questions … for the next generations' sake.
31
@Sue DiSisto There was mention of Seventh Generation’s use of recycled office paper. Also, ooooo, bamboo!
2
100% and 90% recycled products are available on shelves now. Scott and other non-recycled paper products are chopping down Canadian old growth forests. In addition to being an irreplaceable carbon sink they are habitat for many bird species that have seen precipitous population declines. Everytime you buy unrecycled paper towels, tissues, toilet paper you are contributing to the destruction of the planet. The products in general are not as cushy or absorbent that the celebrated brands but they work fine and I'd rather help the planet than help commercial manufacturers that are destroying the planet.
11
@Sue DiSisto tried bamboo t.p. Plugged the septic line. Not good!
4
Scott is owned by Koch brothers as are all major TP brands!
Don’t enrich them. Your money goes to the right wing think tanks and campaigns. Broke the unions in Wisconsin.
Research.
3
Try Marcal:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006VFM8EY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
100% recycled and about 12/3 the price of 7th Gen. No chlorine bleach used.
If you're so concerned why not install a Japanese style toilet.
2
In India, they just use their left hand. No plastic, no electricity, no paper -- it's the perfect solution!
The other nice thing about Seventh Generation is that if you buy single rolls they are wrapped in paper, not plastic.
1
Would suggest you research TP made from bamboo and put out another article. I would love to hear more facts about these products.
1
Thank you for writing this!!! I too LOVED the tubeless technology. I first read about Scott’s quest in a Patagonia catalog of all places. I have been wondering what happened. Thank you for solving this mystery. Can’t we have recycled toilet paper AND no tubes?
The hyphenation is probably wrong, it should be:
600 year-old trees.
I doubt they use 1 tree that is 600-years-old. Rather, they use 600 trees that are 1-year-old (more like 5-10 years old). That is the nature of the pulp wood industry.
And I do agree with one other poster. Get a Bidet! My bathroom has this HUGE long counter and all it does is gather junk. Why oh WHY did the builder not put a flipping Bidet into the house?
You can install a washlet or bidet seat on your existing toilet.
I didn't know about the difference between European wiping and USA wiping. I will try folding instead of bunching.
2
Seventh Generation -- shame on them -- sells their rolls in a plastic bag. By contrast, the Scott 1000 comes in a recyclable tissue-paper container. It's lousy toilet paper -- 1-ply, and not soft -- but I sometimes buy it bc I can't bear plastic.
Hey, Seventh Generation: You could EASILY sell your tp in thin cardboard boxes (like cereal boxes). So it'll cost a little more-- big whoop. The people who buy your products -- as I sometimes do -- are prepared to pay more to have a less-Earth-destroying alternative.
Get on it, please.
2
I only purchase toilet paper made from recycled paper- why would anyone think twice about this? It is akin to single use plastic, cutting down trees to be used for a nanosecond on your bottom. You may need to fold an additional two squares, but come on, think this through...
3
Squishing the roll saves on packaging and transport. They do it in Brazil. Don’t know why it is not done everywhere else.
How do you know "Europeans"use folded sheets, rather than bunching as in the US?
Maybe using your left hand with reduced-size perforated squared paper would lead you somewhere nice, -- and plenty of soap. Or try growing a tree and use the leaves (camping
Eperiences), Or coarse paper is/was so common in Russia and other countries.
I know in Europe they tease me (or scold) for not just taking one paper napkin...I used to take 2 or 3, and notice most of my fellow Americans do too. So, the ecology of wiping could prove interesting in saving the planet.
Like paperless ballots. Maybe paperless wiping will rssult. Your article seems half tongue in cheek, but then I think it's for real. Is it?
Very nice article. But you do realize that Amazon considers you personally to be a clear and present danger to them? They've already hired 12 employees to keep track of your every thought and move.
We’re in northern WIS., use a wood stove most months, a constant need for light combustible materials...TP rolls work just fine.
2
One word - Caboo, a brand made from bamboo
Scrolling through many of the responses I didn’t see see anything about the alternative to paper TP - bamboo derived TP - a mail order house in California, Grove, markets their own version and sells the Seventh Generation brand as well, along with a plethora of other planet friendly products for the home
Toilet paper rolls make excellent cat toys.
Search DIY ideas fore more uses. They can be recycled.
This is WAY down on my personal list of worries.
3
Bidet all the way. Little paper to dry off with. A better experience not just environmentally.
1
I read an article recently about Canada's boreal forests being razed for toilet paper, so I bought a brand made from bamboo. It was fine, until I got to the tube, which was so sturdy and industrial I probably could have built a house out enough of them!
1
All this talk of bidets in the comments makes me wonder about the effect of the bidet manufacturing process on the environment. Isn't there a similar question about the manufacturing and transporting of batteries for electric vehicles? (Wish I could turn my brain off sometimes.)
6
Tubes can be used for all sorts of nifty arts and crafts projects, I propose. Stacking .. putting stuff inside to make an instrument, holding a paper flower. Be creative...
2
I don't recall the brand, but a few years ago I lived in Mexico and bought toilet paper that was tubeless, but instead of techno-wizardry, they had simply replaced the cardboard tube with a small "travel roll" that you would push out before hanging the main roll on the dispenser. The mini-roll held the shape and gave something to wind around. Of course, the travel roll bonus was much more relevant in Mexico, where public restrooms are often not stocked with paper and everyone carries some in their bag. But regardless, I am surprised that no US manufacturers have offered this.
2
Another thing to consider when buying TP in general is the plastic packaging the rolls come in. To reduce waste going to the landfill, you can recycle it along with your clean and dry plastic bags (also the plastic packaging from paper towels, and plastic dry cleaning bags). I believe that stores that give out plastic bags are required by law to take them back for recycling.
3
Plastic bags are not recyclable where I live, and recently, it has been revealed that the bags collected usually are just put in the trash. Much of recycling’s promise is simply misleading citizens into thinking we are being responsible, when, in fact, very little is actually recycled.
11
Wash, not wipe.
Water usage is more ecological.
TP is an industrial product - paper uses water and energy to be manufactured.
The paper used as TP has a bigger carbon foot-print than water, potable or brown.
It is a culture shock of sorts to the West, but water is better for clean-up than TP.
3
I used to buy this toilet paper, thinking it was a step in the right direction. But these came wrapped in thin plastic which is hard to recycle. The cardboard roll can be recycled, composted, or repurposed. We recently got a bidet and I am so excited! Sometimes it feels like we are doing the environmentally conscious thing but we are missing the bigger picture. For instance, bringing reusable bags to the grocery store while not really paying attention to the food packaging.
1
I would be so unhappy not to have the cardboard toilet paper rolls that are indispensable for starting seedlings. They are especially good for starting plants that have deep roots - and much better than plastic pots. They can also be composted if one is not a gardener.
14
This was my first thought when I saw this article! But, what about my seedlings, I wondered. I cut the roll in half and fill with home made compost. You can directly transplant the entire thing, and the worms love to break down the cardboard.
1
What a great tip. thanks!
1
Emily,
Your quest may end in Croatia.
While on vacation there 4 years ago I discovered a toilet paper product with a water soluble tube AND wrapper; Simply flush both along with the (folded) tissue. Voila, nothing enters the waste stream.
I’ve no idea of any downside to flushing the tube and wrapper. But the whole thing impressed me for the potential green benefits and it’s convenience. And the design is adaptable: no need for a change in user behaviour to realize the product benefits.
Happy wiping,
Ben
3
I tried tubeless and found that the roll did not keep its shape. It quickly became lopsided or elliptical and as a result would not turn freely on the spindle. Time wasting and annoying. Having gone back to my old choice, I'm delighted to learn that it makes no difference environmentally.
2
Why not replace toilet paper with bidet? In this case, the author will save a lot of effort hauling it to 6th floor.
9
I have invested in a Bidet myself, now a roll of TP last much longer! However, would be great to see how this use of water compare to the TP in terms of environmental impact. 🤔
Nice that the lady is so particular about her effect on the planet. But...
Has she stopped taking airplanes?
Has she sold her car?
Does she use washable cloths for feminine hygiene?
Has she stopped buying fast food and asking for doggy bags?
Has she gotten rid of her air conditioner?
Does she no longer grill outside?
Otherwise, it's a fuss about very little, beyond wanting to feel virtuous.
17
@Mike492, except for the a/c on the hottest days, yes I have done all the rest.
3
Are you vegan? Do you own more than 3 pairs of shoes? Do you take 2 minute showers only?
This sort of moral weighing of these small life choices is a bit silly-most people are trying to do something, and everyone has a different set of choices.
And all of our choices matter little with the industrial and economic engines of the country. Big economies waste.
Washable cloths for feminine hygiene... Yikes.. Guessing you've never had to personally deal with bleeding for four straight weeks or the issue of building up a pound of bloody cloths while traveling without access to a washing machine. The DivaCup is an option, however, not for everyone or those traveling to or living in places with sullied water.
Thank you for this article. We have used Scott's Tubeless for ten years. We live in a rural area and when our local retailer stopped selling the toilet paper we are so devoted to I blamed them for "just not getting it." It is weird to feel so devoted to a product like this and I am relieved to know I am not the only one. We got some good deals on the Scott's Tubeless at Amazon a while back but now the prices have shot up. I was actually considering spending $56 for 24 rolls of tubeless toilet paper. I haven't! But we are literally down to our last three rolls of tubeless and I still don't know what we are doing to do about the toilet paper situation. This article came at the exact right time for me and has made sense of it all. Thank you, but I still want the tubeless - WHY CAN'T I HAVE IT!!!!! Maybe the bidet isn't such a bad idea...I hate toilet paper rolls. Hate them!
Great article!
1
Interesting that Ms. Flitter has previously covered financial crimes. It is not a crime, I suppose, but it is a bunch of foolery -- what the paper companies do. If you read the package labels, and have old ones available, you find the "mega" rolls don't offer you all that much more than a "double" roll -- which is only a bit larger than what used to be a regular size roll. In short, what the companies have done is disguise a price increase.
The first time I noticed this sleight of hand was in the late 1970s when Mr. Whipple -- the grocery man who kept reminding customers, "Don't squeeze the Charmin" -- was bragging about a new, improved version. The package proclaimed that is was measurably softer -- accompanied by a drawing of a roll with a tape measure around it. What I discovered was (1) the diameter of the tube had been increased, (2) the paper was wound more loosely than before, and (3) comparing the new package to the old, each roll actually contained fewer sheets. And though I didn't measure the tube length, it was probably shorter -- I know they are these days; there's fully 1.75" inches to spare on the dispenser roller. It all adds up to big money in their pockets. Catching us with our pants down, so to speak.
4
I need those tubes to help me start my woodstove fire (I'm not in San Diego much). It's kind of fun to watch them burn.
1
You might want to consider bamboo toilet tissues. No trees are needed and bamboo grows fast and can be cut many times without replanting. https://www.grove.co/paper/?brand=seedling&offer=searchseedlingcaddy&utm_source=google&utm_medium=nonbrand_search&utm_campaign=acq-HH-Paper-NB&utm_term=bamboo%20toilet%20paper&utm_content=2771&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkePyBRCEARIsAMy5ScvR0FA4O12pX-hKDj33Qd3qmv4OKqPo2NaETKvsE8Mjq7YnpATVSSAaAkYNEALw_wcB
3
The tubeless design is available in Vietnam
@Robert Moore : yes, that is very practical.
Fly halfway 'round the world to Vietnam -- buy 500 rolls of tubeless toilet paper -- then fly back to the US with it.
Thanks for that sound environmental advice!
Driving an automobile is one of the most destructive activities you can engage in. Eat less meat, buy fewer new clothes, fly less. Toilet paper rolls are minor.
4
@Jiro SF : stop taking fancy foreign vacations that involve flying (or driving long distances!).
There, I fixed it for you.
If you are that concerned about the environment, learn from the Asians and use the bidet.
5
Why not add an aftermarket bidet fixture to your toilet? I believe that M
Kohler makes one whick operates with water pressure alone so there is no need for a new electrical outlet.
3
You're barking up the wrong tree altogether in your plea for more environmentally friendly TP. A bidet or toilet sprayer is far more environmentally friendly, more sanitary, and gentler on that sensitive skin where the sun don't shine.
No disposable packaging (no packaging at all); nothing to recycle, and just a tiny amount of water consumption-- far less water consumption that goes into manufacturing toilet paper.
And here you are preaching about the waste of toilet paper cardboard rolls
Ditch the TP altogether and do what the French have been doing for centuries. Not only with the trees thank you, our derriere will thank you as well.
7
You should wipe with a cloth and wash in bleach and hot water if it's that important to you. Then you don't have to to "lug" it up.
1
Thank you so much for all of the investigative work you did in order to get to the bottom of the case of the vanishing Scott Tube-Free rolls. I too miss them very much. With the tubeless rolls I had one less thing to clean off the bathroom floors at my house! At least now I feel like I have some closure.
1
Why do we need a roll anyway? Couldn't they package the toilet paper in one continuous square block that folds over onto itself?
3
Or.
You could buy a Toto 'washlet' toilet seat. Once installed, the seat greatly reduces (or eliminates) the need for toilet paper by substituting a warm jet of water and some gentle blow drying.
These electronic seats are a bit pricey and might require a contractor's services. But in the end (sorry) you won't need toilet paper or cardboard rolls.
4
This is what you’re worried about? Wow.
7
If I fold AND bunch, does that make me Canadian?
5
Or you could just get a bidet.
4
Glad you spent so much time on this.
4
Bidets, people. Bidets.
2
@X : bidets are not free.
A real bidet costs $$$ and needs a plumber to install.
A fancy Japanese toilet (heated seats and all) is over $1000 each (also needs plumber to install).
Even a retrofit "bidet seat" needs to be installed and costs $70-$150.
They all require electricity and plumbing. Is there an outlet near your toilet? I doubt it -- for safety reasons! -- so good luck unless this is a major remodeling.
What a ridiculous article. The world is burning, metaphorically, and you're worried abour a 5" tube of cardboard. There are some days I really wish I could be a Republican, alas.
6
Cut the writer some slack. We all could use a little humor after this week's events.
Are you really in a sixth floor walk-up?
4
maybe look to Ukraine. Tubeless paper is the standard there.
in australia I make my own rolls from the paperbark tree. Then bury the waste in my pootato garden.
2
JAPANESE TOILETS.
Wanna reduce paper use, there you go. Compare the water use though but it's definitely better on your butt than dry paper.
Please get yourself a Toto Washlet. You'll never need toilet paper again. And it's better! I have one and I'd say more than 50% of my guests who have used it have gone home and gotten one of their own.
1
What? This is news?
I think there's some more pressing things to cover.
Give me a break.
2
Sorry, Emily but those tubes are made from 100% recycled waste paper.
Gary Cran
2
I put the tubes in my compost bin.
1
If you want to save the world start by taking your foot off it’s head.
2
It's amazing to see this lengthy discussion about ecological impact of the core tube in a paper toilet roll.
What about using less disposable paper period ?
You can get a Bidet mounted on your toilet that can really cut down your paper use. [ I guess it use more water... but again do you have low volume flush toilet installed in your house ?].
Please don't smear all Americans. I count squares and fold.
2
Recommend you switch to bamboo toilet paper -- no trees involved https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/bamboo-toilet-paper-review
Wow, this author really doesn't have anything better to worry about? I'm all for recycling/conservation/etc. but a whole article about a product this is completely compostable is absurd!
5
In countries of the former Soviet Union, you'd be hard-pressed to find a single roll of toilet paper WITH a cardboard tube. Scott might want to let all of Eurasia know they have a patent... and the author might want to investigate the ubiquity of tubeless toilet paper in other countries.
1
This is actually a topic that has been on my mind! We use toilet paper made from sugarcane instead of trees. It's made by Grove. And my husband is religious about teaching our kids to fold, not wad (:
I was just wondering today what happened to this toilet paper. I haven't been able to find it anywhere. I'm so sad!!
Cardboard is a green, sustainable and recycled material. Pine trees are used to make cardboard, which is readily recycled into cardboard. Aspen is the source tree for toilet paper. Both are rapid growing trees that are in essence a woodland crop. Pulp logs are usually less than 12 inches in diameter. A lot of "butt wipe" and cardboard are made in Wisconsin. There are no 600 year old trees used to make paper. From my standpoint, this story is a waste of newsprint.
4
@The Chop Very little toilet paper is made from sustainable forests like yours in Wisconsin. The vast majority is made from arboral forests clear cut in Canada. Canada is losing its forests at the 3rd fastest rate behind only Russia and Brazil! Using wood instead of recycling paper requires far more chemistry, producing 3 times more green house gases, producing far more sulfur dioxide, requiring chlorine bleach,and using twice as much water.
1
Sounds like a personal problem
2
Install a bidet and be done with it. More sanitary.
2
Why are you still using toilet paper? A mechanical bidet attachment could free you from that wasteful habit.
1
Talk about waste, this was the most ridiculous discussion I have read on the NYT. Please understand people read this stuff and form opinions about whether serious people are having serious discussions about serious issues on this site. Good luck on the Pulitzer.
4
This is the most important article in the NY Times today. I've been wondering what happened to the tubeless TP. I loved having less of those tubes filling up my bathroom trash can.
4
It's too late for "Seinfeld," but Toilet Paper Lady would fit right into an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
4
I ived in the so called developing world for 20 years, where I learned the best and most refreshing (not to mention environmentally responsible) way to clean your backside is with your hand and some fresh water.
2
I really wanted to find out the difference between European butt wiping and American ones. It was the only thing that made me read this stuff!
Oh god I want my tubeless toilet paper back...
3
Why are there tubes on the floor? You put the old tube on the counter and the next time you go wherever the paper recycling bag or box is, you toss it in.
4
Today's mills in western Washington actually take snap shots of each log when it comes in. A computer determines, instantly, how best to cut the log to maximize timber production and the tree flies through the saws. It's amazingly fast and accurate. Every single part is used. Wood pulp ends up in toilet paper, but also clothing, foods like hot chocolate mixes, cosmetics and shampoos, medical devices, and so much more. I do appreciate the need to reduce garbage flow, but so many other ecological things to worry about.
3
You can buy them on Amazon for $50 or $60. It would be cheaper to use $1 bills.
2
Thank you for writing this. I was a fellow devotee and found myself actually commenting on the Scott’s Facebook page to bring it back. Not a place I ever thought I’d be.
I too, have switched to Seventh Generation recycled/dye free. Though I feel good about the substitution, (and better after reading this), I still get bummed (no pun intended) every time I see that tube.
You have a prominent voice with a broad platform; please use both to focus on more pressing issues. Normally I care about recycling, but in the context of present crises (e.g., Trump, the economy, and coronavirus), this piece was irritating.
4
Get over it. The Times covers the other topics you cite better than any newspaper in the world. Enjoy life. Move on.
And why in the world do some magazines wrap the magazine to mail in a plastic cover? So annoying.
3
@Pat Boice
Some folks collect the issues and want them to arrive undamaged by the elements.
Find Scott tubeless at Dollar stores, for $1.00. It's quite thick and would seem to be a non-environmentally friendly paper anyway.
OMGoodness, toilet paper tubes!
As a child, I saved them for my mother (I'm 74) who stuffed her used Kotex pads in them for disposal.
Some 30+ years ago I visited her house, changed the roll, and walked out of the loo triumphantly, waving the tube. She doubled-over in laughter, saying, "Oh, honey, I'm waaaay past needing that," but she gave me an enormous hug and thank you for remembering!
6
I once bought 48 tubeless rolls on Ebay. Unfortunately they showed up in a large corrugated cardboard box inside of another large corrugated cardboard box. UGH! Haven't seen any since.
1
I have a worm bin, so I soak the cardboard rolls in water, tear them up, and feed them to my worms to make vermicompost.
5
Hemp toilet paper. Why aren't any of the big producers sourcing and making this yet? Cutting down trees to make toilet paper is crazy.
3
I had no idea and now feel side lined by this info, like a break up email.
We just spent 3 weeks in India where EVERY toilet had a hose with a nozzle attached to the wall. This hose is used to clean your tush. It was fabulous. I actually prefer it to my Toto Washlet that has a bidet feature.
There are add-on bidets for standard toilets. My kids (in their 30s) bought them to reduce the use of toilet paper.
When my mother fractured her neck and couldn't shower, the add-on bidet saved her.
1
Toilet paper rolls are compostable. I wish where this article would have focused is on educating readers about the real threat to North American forests. We don't need to grieve the loss of toilet paper rolls, we need to grieve the loss of our forests and consider what toilet paper solution will have the biggest impact on our collective sustainability efforts.
The NRDC is a great resource: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/jennifer-skene/issue-tissue-how-us-flushing-forests-away?fbclid=IwAR0SPMZyZDevtlR8D31ZvafEJ2cbp8RQT2XXlsbYwOLV1sFQT-C2q97TwxQ
1
We have a babysitter who uses more toilet paper than our whole family. She alone can finish a role in 2 days. She is American. We are immigrants so we are used to looking at toilet paper as luxury and using it sparingly (folding it).
1
I like toilet paper just how it is. Why do we have to do such silly things. The cardboard tube is needed to use toilet paper properly.
2
Want to use less tp? Try a bidet! Installed an aftermarket one on our toilet and we use significantly less tp. Highly recommend.
You are deluded if you think Scott is the environmentally sensitive way to go. It has a terrible record on the environment! Try Marcal, with an excellent record, or Seventh Generation. Stop obsessing about the tube and concern yourself with the paper, which should be recycled if you are really concerned about the environment.
4
Save your toilet paper empty toilet paper rolls (and paper towel rolls) and take them to a local preschool. The craft opportunities are endless.
1
I was taught by my father in 1957 how to get three wipes out of two or three squares.
Fold the full sheets and wipe, then fold in half.
Wipe again and fold again for your final wipe.
So I side with Europe.
2
Really?
What a waste of ones and zeroes. Where do they get recycled?
1
My former employer got a deal on a batch of Chinese toilet paper some years ago. It was single ply, stretchy and you could see tiny slivers of wood in it.
That's all I got.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE TOILET PAPER!
I have never had strong feelings about which toilet paper I used until discovering the Scott tube free. I was similarly dismayed when I was unable to find it.
The writer of this article nails it. Why have all these tubes filling up your garbage. When you live in an apartment, you want to minimize the number of times you need to take the trash downstairs. I doubt many people recycle their toilet paper tubes either (who wants to dig through bathroom trash), so it just ends up in the landfill.
SCOTT - if you are listening, if you don't want to manufacture tubeless toilet paper any more, please stop defending your patent so someone can. Please.
3
i buy "reel" bamboo toilet paper. sustainable, no trees. check it out.
A fine discussion of the choices facing indviduals as well as manufacturers when purchasing, consuming, or producing environmentally conscious products.
Perhaps all residents of the U. S. A. should fold rather than bunch their toilet paper.
Of course the alternative is to use a bidet or a can with some water to cleanse their intergluteal cleft. If they do so, they must remember in many areas of the nation as well as the world water is a valuable hard to obtain resource.
Wait until you get old.
My favorite toothpaste (Mentadent) was discontinued, my favorite moisturizer, my favorite bra, and favorite store closedd. Life moves on.
I'm glad you learned to change.
(and my toilet paper rolls go have gone in the paper recycling for years.)
2
I thought I was alone, but after reading your article feel seen. Bring back the tubeless TP. It’s so much better. The rolls take up so much space in small bathroom trashcans, so eliminating them is also a matter of convenience as well as environmental consciousness! Bring back Scott’s tube free!
1
We switched to a bidet and towels and love it. Turns out toilet paper isn't that necessary at all!
Wow possibly the most insignificant article in the NYT for awhile. I just save the tubes & recycle them, a no brainer.
Empty cardboard tubes gather on your floor?! You don't have a recycle bin?
But seriously, while you are worried about this nonsense DJT is doing much worse for the environment. Pick your battles, girl.
1
I have a suggestion. There was a time when the Sears catalog was enlisted for the purpose of wiping one's derriere. If the business section of the NYT has declined to the point that articles of this nature are considered to be of consequence, then it has firmly established itself as a suitable eco-friendly wipe.
2
Many comments here are mentioning bidets. How do bidets know how much water to spray to get everything clean? Sorry to be gross, but the amount and consistency of the 'brown stuff' can result in sometimes needing very little toilet paper or sometimes much more paper. How does the bidet mechanism know how long to keep spraying water?
1
They are generally controlled by a button that turns the water on and off. There sprayer can also be moved by button controls. The user uses the spray as much as needed.
I don't mind a tube in the toilet paper, but the new tubes are huge, compared to what they were. I have one of the old tubes that I use to corral an electric cord, and it will easily fit inside a new tube with room to spare. Sometimes it seems as if the tubes are getting larger with every pack I buy.
Paper trees are not 600 years old - they're agriculture, specifically farmed for harvest. And in order to have paper to recycle, inevitably it has to come from a tree - the fibers are not endlessly recyclable - you can only recycle paper a set number of times.
3
I too wondered where "they" went - now I know. I have used Scott's all my life (now in my 80's) and liked the tubeless. Reading all of Emily Flitter's research leads me to think the company (K.Clark) finds the profit line is better with out t'less. Oh well, there are many uses for the tubes, as listed by other consumers.
I feel the pain of the reader who was overwhelmed with campaign mailers. I will gladly vote for the first candidate to hold a shredding event after the election. Win or lose!
1
Using recycled paper is more important to us than tube-free. Try Marcal--it's 100% recycled, made in the USA (New Jersey, I think), and it's been around for over 80 years. Comes in single and double ply, and it's less expensive than other recycled brands. We compost the tubes.
2
I've never bought the tube-free product, but from the photo I can't understand how it fits in the TP holder. I don't have the kind of bathroom space to set up something special just for this one thing.
And TP tubes are easily repurposed as pet toys. A couple of snips with the scissors and bend back the ends, and you have made a cat happy.
1
I’m totally fine with 100% recycled tissue, from whatever source. Hey, it’s not super soft, but quite adequate. Recycling the paper rolls, well, that’s easy.
1
a recycled tube does not turn back into a tree. that's the author's point!
Having a bidet to clean with water will dramatically decrease the amount of paper one needs. You’ll really only need it to dry rather than clean. I found this article fun to read but just the sort I would expect from a privileged person striving to save the world. Reducing waste is a good thing but electing leaders who enact better laws to deal with waste will go a lot further.
25
Tube free, an excellent idea that saved waste and $$$. The nasty tubes at the end of the roll were never necessary and often wasted more actual product as it came unrolled in a single jerk to ripe apart the paper. Who knows, maybe less waste caused lower sales?
I just toss my cardboard tubes in the compost. I don't understand what this article's urgency is all about.
8
oh my gosh, I could relate to your entire article! Thank you for solving the mystery of why Scott's discontinued tube free rolls.
4
I want one of those Toto bidets from Japan! Not only washes but dries! And the seat id warm. $1700
4
@Pat
Mechanical bidet attachments can be found online for between $36-70.
Easy to install,too.
2
We donate all of our tubes to a local rabbit orphanage. The big guys love the paper towel tubes.
2
Oh, for heaven's sake, lets just all of us die right now. The planet will really blossom. :}
4
We got used to buying thin soft cotton baby blankets, cut them into wipeable size squares to use for urine only. Place in covered pail with a box of baking soda for smell. Easy to wash and air dry and it cuts down considerable the use of toilet paper.
9
What's wrong with a bidet? Most of the world uses it, resulting in the elimination or sharp reduction of T.P. usage.
9
Do we really use 600 year old trees for toilet paper? It is my understanding that most companies grow their own trees for raw materials.
9
You’re right. Nobody cuts down hundred year old trees for paper
2
I thought walk-ups had garbage chutes? This is a serious question; I’m from the west coast where I’ve never seen an apartment building higher than three floors without an elevator. Would seem really bad to walk all your garbage down.
1
Please get a bidet and dispense with TP altogether. It will change your life
129
@Ross It is unclear that using a bidet is more ecological than using toilet paper. How much energy is needed to collect the water, purify it and pump it to your house versus the energy needed to make a few squares of toilet paper? I would not be surprised if using the bidet was more energy expensive than the toilet paper.
18
@Ross What about all the water you waste?
12
@Rob-Chemist First, it would eliminate (or at least significantly reduce) the number of cardboard tubes the author will need to recycle. Second, just the water usage that is needed for the creation of those TP sheets will be less than the water used with a bidet, not to mention the environmental cost of manufacturing and transportation. A bidet truly uses little water.
17
Absurd that we use toilet paper rather than bidets in the US.
6
“Every little thing that goes up my perilous staircase has to come down again.”
Given the item and it’s use, just wondering, did I read that correctly?
1
I had a similar crisis when Marcal Paper’s factory in NJ burned to the ground a year ago. “Paper from paper, not from trees” was their encouraging motto and I always felt good about buying their 100% recycled paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, etc. (They had tubes, but our county doesn’t recycle that kind of paperboard anyway so I composted them.) The brand soon disappeared from stores. My search for a replacement led me to this NRDC sustainability scorecard: https://www.nrdc.org/media/2019/190220 Scott products rate very low and get a “D.” Seventh Generation gets an “A.”
3
Flitter is missing the forest and the trees in her extreme focus on such an insignificant part of our environmental waste and pollution.
4
My in-laws used the tube-free paper, and I learned to loathe it at their house. Without the cardboard cylinder to guarantee a smooth turn, the core of the roll is a weird asymmetric shape. So when you pull to tear off a sheet, the roll lurches stiffly from sheet to sheet. Not a smooth spin. Probably this is why it wasn’t a great seller.
We recycle our cardboard tubes, along with our dead- tree edition of the Times!
5
I think about this stuff too. Thank you for reporting.
1
I am also devastated that Scott discontinued this!!! We are few and far between.. I tried to get my sister to also use tubeless and she gave them back to me. Iʻm not surprised that they phased them out.
15
@gimme gimme. If this 'devastates' you...then I'm not sure what life's true curve balls will do
3
If you really want to save on TP and waste, get a bidet! It is the ecological solution for all.
I just purchased a $60 bidet to fit on my existing toilet. It was easy-peasy to install. Once a person switches to a bidet, there is no going back to reams of TP. It's a bit surprising the first couple uses, but you get the hang of it.
The bidet is eco-friendly. You still need toilet paper to pat yourself dry, but the amount of toilet paper I use now to before is probably 1/10th or so.
4
Whatever the merits of tubeless, not clear whether the editors are serious in publicizing both a self-help and environmental aid. In . what universe, even five years ago would this piece appear in the is newspapers, as opposed to, asay, Mad Magazine, or perhaps in bowdlerized form, - LIVE - on SNL.
3
My wife and I are facing homelessness if this recession hits. I'll tell you what, once I'm living in a tent under the freeway, I'll have plenty of time to figure this TP problem for you. I'll get back to you.
5
So, now we know why so little really changes for the better. People care most about the tiny things they think they can control. If only we could get significant numbers of the public to complain about real issues, we might actually be looking at a better world. Instead, maybe we can hope that someday we can have tubeless paper rolls back.
6
I felt the same when I could no longer find the tubeless TP! I was a loyal fan and happy to get it in bulk at BJ's. We recycle the tube but wish more creative ways would be implemented to bring back tube free TP rolls for consumers.
2
Scotts always charged more for the un-tubed TP than the tubed.
4
@JohnK. It annoyed me that they charged more, so I refused to buy it.
1
I'm annoyed that so many toilet paper brands reduced the width of the paper roll by about a centimeter a number of years ago. I can only find the original wider width of Charmin at Costco.
I also hate those 'endless' rolls of toilet paper that are in places like airport restrooms. These rolls are not perforated, and as a result so much gets shredded and torn up trying to tear off a length. Very wasteful.
Who knew that someone could complain so much about toilet paper!
7
If you ever get another tubeless roll they make great refills in square kleenex boxes. Just gently lift the box from beneath. Touch of wetness will reglue it down. Put the tubeless in and draw your endless kleenex from the center. It will be years before you refill again.
Don't throw out those tubes. Hamsters (the miniature kind) love them! They use them as tunnels or chew them up for fun. After they are done with one tube, just give them another. Don't have a hamster? Get one! Just one note: female hamsters are all pregnant all the time. So, if you only want one hamster, and not six, get a male.
4
I believe coreless toilet rolls are still made for commercial use but they won’t fit a household dispenser. I’ve seen them for sale on Amazon, either Scott/Kimberly Clark or Georgia Pacific. Speaking of which, I have tried commercial paper because it’s supposed to be 100 percent recycled and it saves me money over supermarket rolls and so that’s what I order from Amazon or Costco these days. One carton takes up just a tiny corner of an NYC apartment and lasts forever.
1
In my opinion, there is some kind of fetish going on here, and it doesn't have to do with the environment. You say you have heard that the tube might be wasteful? How about your car, or your restaurant, or your workplace? Or chlorine bleach. Or a million other things that harm our world. To be deeply concerned about the cardboard tube in toilet paper is to have lost sight of the real dangers.
15
It’s easy to use worn out clothing to make washable toilet paper squares. They can be washed like cloth diapers or just used by women for most restroom trips with toilet paper used as needed to reduce the ick factor and make washing quick and simple. Not practical for someone without a washing machine but much less costly and more environmentally friendly than bamboo alternatives.
1
@Elizabeth This is a great suggestion. You can also buy washcloths, and have a special hamper with a lid by the toilet for the cloths once they've been used. You can also have and a jar by the toilet and fill it with warm water and rinse after you've gone to the toilet. Sometimes toilet paper is too abrasive, cloth feels just wonderful. Yes, there is more laundry, but folding the cloths after they dry is not that difficult.
@amazing
Good ideas. I’ve found an open mesh metal basket that allows the cloths to dry keeps odors to a minimum. We have a clean basket and a dirty basket. No need to fold, with kids there’s enough other laundry that needs folding. Toss the dirty basket in the washer once a week then dry and refill the clean basket. Maybe 5-10 minutes of work per week and saves us $40/month. No carrying or storing big packs of toilet paper either. Unlike a bidet our young kids can use them. We do keep toilet paper out for guests though, that’s where I draw the line.
Thank you for this! I, too, am a lover of the tube free toilet paper and have been very disappointed when I could not find it. This answers many questions! I will take a look at Seventh Generation but will hate having to deal with the cardboard roll again!
1
Let me get this straight.
The cardboard core is recyclable, but it's too inconvenient to put in the recycle bin?
So you'd rather use a product that doesn't fit on a toilet paper roller?
And you believe a guy who claims 600-year-old trees are being cut down to make toilet paper?
Lord help us all.
17
@Bruce
Agreed and Thank you !!!!!!
As a former retail buyer in the Janitorial and Sanitation supplies space (i.e. the commercial grade stuff mentioned in the article), Kimberly-Clark Corporation is not the only company to produce a "coreless" option; Koch Industries owned Georgia-Pacific produces a coreless commercial version as well.
Additionally, you definitely can purchase the coreless commercial version if you know where to look.
3
@Matthew That is if you want to buy a product made by Koch Industries.
1
While you're at it, can you tell me what ever happened to whole wheat hot dog buns? I haven't seen any in several years.
This is strange because every form of bread, including Chinese steamed buns can now be found in whole wheat.
3
@cl Thank you so much for this laugh!!! Makes much more sense.
@cl : my supermarket has several brands of whole wheat hot dog buns, so I have no idea what you are talking about.
Folding vs bunching .... as an immigrant to the US from Europe, this neatly fits my observations (or maybe stereotyping): Americans (probably mostly US Americans) live large because they can ... outside of the cities, there is (mostly) enough space for big houses with big yards and big garages housing big cars ... and no problems for the consumer using water, fuel and electricity bigly. In Europe, one has to dial down a little, there is less space, more people/m2, energy and water more expensive ... although there are many big cars on European roads (and no speed limit on some German freeways) and too many planes in the air, Europeans live somewhat more sustainable than Americans, in part due to the factors mentioned, and in part passed down from the war generation that really did experience desperate scarcity, something the american middle class did not live through to that extent.
If Europe can curb car traffic and intereuropean air travel, it may be able to demonstrate that a western lifestyle can be sustainable ...even if it may be a little late for that. But being terribly wasteful may be deeply ingrained in US culture. My hope is for some form of green new deal.
8
Well I’m okay with paper tubes. They are my dogs favorite toys. She often cannot wait for the roll to end so indulges herself to unrolling the toilet paper to get the tube. I guess you could call it recycling of sorts!
4
Emily, could you please put your skills toward companies using less/no plastics? We need a national /international consortium working on discovering a clear replacement for plastics that is biodegradable and won't harm the land and ocean.
Expand your horizon's for the good of mankind.
6
Has the author considered an even more eco-friendly approach?
Bidets can make your roll last much longer. Modern ones I consider a life changing experience.
9
Glad to see this article. I've been trying to get a ban on unsolicited catalogs for years. When I get one now, I email the company with the following message:
Please remove me from your mailing list and do not sell my name to other companies. I also would like to express my disappointment in your high-carbon-footprint practice of sending unsolicited catalogs and your privacy-invading practice of selling/purchasing addresses. I had understood [insert name] to be concerned with environmental harm. Thus, sending out non-requested catalogs is hypocritical and distressing. It's also disrespectful of my time. Most people throw these undesired mailings away. Some will recycle (only moderately less harmful to the environment) and others, like me, will take some precious time away from their meaningful lives to try and stop this. Please become an industry leader and announce that you recognize the environmental harm (considering the entire carbon footprint from catalog production, transport and finally the energy used to recycle or, most likely, toss magazines into the trash). And all so that someone can make a profit and sell people more and more stuff that, similarly, harms the planet.
3
@Robin Well, I just call the 800 number on the back of the catalog and request my name be removed. It works beautifully. I receive no catalogs at all now. If, by chance, a rogue one slips in, I call and voila, empty mailbox. Manhattan apt. building mailboxes are notoriously tiny, so this has helped tremendously. I'm working on charity solicitations next.
3
@Robin
Google "Catalogue Choice." At no charge to you, you'll be able to get off companies' mailing lists without making a single phone call. Catalogue Choice will occasionally (twice a year) ask you for a donation, but you don't have to make one to use their service.
@A.
Google "Catalogue Choice." At no charge to you, you can cancel catalogues, and mail from charities and non-profits soliciting donations. No phone calls necessary. Catalogue Choice will ask for a donation a couple of times a year, but you don't have to make one to use their service.
1
In Asia, it is very easy to get toilet paper without a roll, so perhaps it’s accurate to say Kimberly Clark is the only manufacturer of this is in the US. On the other hand, we also have the toilet hose which is used much like a a European bidet. I’ve been totally converted, as it leaves you feeling super clean and reduces TP use. Try it!
2
Why bemoan the tube when you could buy a bidet?
This seems like the tendency to serve iced coffees in plastic cups with paper straws. I'm all for paper straws, but why does that count as checking the box?
2
@Danieo
Someone in a sixth floor walk up apartment may well be renting and altering the plumbing is generally not allowed in rentals. Even if someone were to install a handheld bidet they would be on the hook for damage to the building should it leak.
1
@Elizabeth
You can install a bidet right on your existing toilet. It is no more a liability than any plumbing fixture in an apartment. Your fears are unfounded.
I am much more concerned about the comment tucked into one paragraph at the end of the article:: the makers of most toilet papers are cutting down old growth forests to make a product that we use to wipe our bottoms! I have switched to toilet paper that is made from bamboo or the are made from recycled paper. And I no longer use paper towels, except bamboo ones for real messes. This to me is a much more serious issues than whether or not it has a roll in the center than can easily be recycled.
3
@Denise Koetas-dale
Try a bidet. It uses no paper at all. North America need to truly consider the bidet as an alternative to TP.
1
@Denise Koetas-dale Please stop believing everything you read. Old growth forests are NOT being used for toilet paper. Modern trees are superbly sustainable, like growing crops of vegetables. Plant, grow, harvest, replant, grow, harvest.
1
That’s simply not true at all. NYT should be embarrassed to have printed it.
1
Switched to Silk’n Soft Bamboo Toilet Paper about 6 months ago, it does have a tube but the rest of it is 100% bamboo (many ‘bamboo’ toilet papers are actually a mix of bamboo and recycled paper.) Bamboo is (1) not a tree (2) one of the fastest growing plants (3) soaks up loads of CO2 (4) does not require pesticides or herbicides (5) can be cut and regrown from the same cane repeatedly. Not all bamboo tissues are the same, I’ve tried several and this is by far the best. Trust me, you will not suffer!
3
Oh that's what happened! I just 2 weeks ago ran out of my last batch of Scott's tube-free and was wondering why I couldn't find it anymore (though I guess my curiosity pales in comparison).
To me the manufacturing efficiency argument seems like "because the machines were designed to put toilet paper onto tubes, they are less efficient when they are used to put toilet paper on no tube". I bet the "it's different and so consumers won't buy it" argument is what made the decision for them. I will have to admit to getting questioned about my choices by my lady friend when she finished a roll one time...
Here's to hoping they bring it back.
2
Whatever happened to style? I used to prefer the pastel colors to match decor. Whatever happened to the light blue, light beige, light yellow, and pink? Even store brands had the colors. When discontinued, I collected as many as I could. When remodeling the guest bathroom, I went with neutral grey so the ubiquitous white TP wold be okay.
3
@Robert
I know what you mean. I really liked the dusty pink and the teal. The teal would look so nice in the bathroom I have now since it has an ocean theme.
3
@Robert colored toilet paper demands more chemicals, all paper has to be bleached, during it adds one more batch of chemicals to the waterways.
I like the comment on folding vs bunching. I fold, neatly over and over to make the most of a few sheets. Bunching uses so much more!
6
I do that, but I never knew that it was an CONCEPT.
1
Almost all toilet paper is made by cutting down old growth virgin boreal forests. Only a handful of companies use recycled paper. This is the real problem.
6
Welcome to my world. Every product that I use regularly gets discontinued. I'm a boomer. We don't matter any more.
7
Has anyone noticed the shrinking dimensions of the toilet paper rolls? Notice how much easier it slides around the tube roller.
You pay for more sheets but the rolls are shorter hence the quickly diminishing rolls.
3
@MK As I understand it, that happened because Wal-Mart demanded that the shipping cartons be a certain size so there would be no unused space in their trucks, and the rolls needed to be shorter in width to make the shipping cartons the right size.
1
I was desperately looking for the tubeless paper as well! Thank you for solving the mystery and for giving us an informed alternative.
2
Thank you for writing this. I was a huge fan of their TP with an ongoing subscription first at amazon, then at target then back to amazon. RIP Scotty, it was great while it lasted
2
Thank you so much for writing about this - both the article and the comments were very informative. I also was a devoted buyer of the tube free Scott paper and was upset when they discontinued it. After reading this I understand the situation is much more complicated. I will definitely try the recycled paper alternatives mentioned, as I agree that destroying our magnificent forests for toilet paper is just wrong.
6
I wonder how many things in this household are purchased online and sent via the cardboard box or plastic envelope.
9
One issue I do not see discussed here is the fact that most toilet paper in brick and wall stores or big box stores is sold in plastic wrapping. And that plastic is piling up. It is hard to find T.P. packed in paper or cardboard which can be recycled. I get it delivered in boxes of 92 rolls at a time, which it's an option only if you live in rather large space with enough storage.
7
Wow. No article has spoken to me more. I was obsessed with the Scott tube-free rolls! Once I couldn’t find them anymore at my local grocer, I had my husband drive all over looking. He found one package 30 mins away. That was the last of it. Plus all the carbon emissions from driving around looking for my beloved toilet paper was a pretty sad situation too.
8
Same! I thought I was the only one! Those rolls lasted longer too!@Carrie
6
@Carrie 30 mins? Better keep your husband happy. Not everyone would do that. I wouldn't drive 30 mins for toilet paper however nicely my wife asks.
2
Buy one of those Japanese toilet seats. They have this little jet of warm water that gently cleanses your backside (and also has a bidet feature), then another jet of warm air to dry off your tushie. No waist!
21
@Andy Benedict I have one and it is great. No need for toilet paper.
2
@Andy Benedict
I too recently bought the low budget bidet (cold water only). I love it. No going back to paper for this girl.
1
Interesting. I am back from Tajikistan, where you carry your own toilet paper to pretty much any place. The paper roll is coreless, brown colored, pretty rough, but a bit stretchable, sold wrapped a simple paper sheet (no plastic wrapping), given the texture and small colored pieces in it, it looks heavily recycled.
I noticed you use a lot less of that brown, rougher, highly recycled paper as compared to soft white toilet paper.
Back in the U.S., I got startled for a moment in a public bathroom having left my roll of paper at home, then I remembered, it was provided and plenty of it.
20
The toilet paper inner tubes break down nicely in my backyard compost and are an important component of the brown mix to balance the green mix.
30
Get out of my head! I went through this exact same process...anger, mourning and finally acceptance with a new recycled option. I'm still not happy about it though.
6
It is an axiom of modern life that whatever consumer product you become devoted to will be discontinued by the manufacturer, the distributor, or point of sale. Seeing a sign that said "Last Call" hanging next to Califia Better Half Vanilla Coconut and Almond Creamer at Whole Foods just yesterday, I went to the Customer Service desk to ask what exactly that meant, hoping I had somehow misunderstood, but, no, the guy looked at me like I was nuts (??!?) and confirmed that the product was no more, at least not at that store. This also happened with Udi's Vanilla Granola a few months ago right after they told me it was just "out of stock." Sure, nice try. BTW, I tried tube-free TP when it first came out, didn't love it, also I don't think you're saving the world with no tubes.
10
@Jennene Colky One item alone certainly does not save the world. But several benefits are derived from potentially smarter choices like tube-free tp roles. (The technology to manufacture the tubeless would no doubt evolve if it was selling.) Each item we purchase with more sensitivity to the environment reinforces the clear need to shift our whole culture from a "comfort first and at any cost" mentality to a no-brainer "hey, we better figure out how to manage our resources WAY more carefully than we are now or the end-of-resources will be sooner rather than later."
BTW, my peeve is lipstick colors I wear and love that simply go away! Tough to be a woman....
I tried it once and then when I learned it wasnt even recycled paper I refused to buy it again. It was outrageous they called it "Naturals". Just buy recycled TP and recycle the tube.
12
Thank you for asking those questions and writing this article. And thank you NYT for publishing it. It’s not inane... Consider how many tons of cardboard are wasted for this. One more example of a complete waste of resources. It is a but symptom of a far more pervasive problem, and it got your attention!
6
I tried out an add-on bidet toilet seat at the home of some friends. The water was from a well and it was freezing. Nope! I'll use regular t.p. Also, I have no problem recycling t.p. tubes. We are on a septic system and the bamboo t.p. caused a plug in our line. Our plumber told us not to continue using it.
2
@underwater44 You can get a heated bidet. The non-electric ones are instruments of torture except in warmer climates.
1
@underwater44 My bidet warms the water and the seat. Try out one of those!
1
@underwater44 I have a "washlet" with a water heater incorporated into the design. Heats our well water just fine.
Happy to read something completely unrelated to the Corona virus issue.
26
I used to be an Engineer for Charmin...A primary purpose of the core, in addition to being the mandrel for the winding process, is to provide stack strength . The core provide the "column rigidity" required to stack multiple cases on top of each other which in turn let us use a much thinner cardboard for the cases so it actually saved fiber...also back in the day, when the TP rolls were perfumed, it was the inner portion of the core that got the perfumes so no irritant got to the consumer....now you know....
128
This is me! As loyal Scott Tube Free users who were so thrilled to not have the tube to deal with, my husband and I have wondered this so many times. Thanks for the information. We switched to bamboo toilet paper when we couldn't find the Tube Free kind anymore.
4
While you're grieving, buy a few dozen color coded flannel cloths and a lidded waste can with a foot pedal to replace toilet paper. No more hauling bulky paper up six flights.
5
That went the way of the cloth diaper.
2
i would say to the author that if there is so much concern about tubeless TP, how about embracing the no-TP lifestyle and use water to clean oneself? that's as green as it gets.
or maybe plant some blue spurflower and use the leaves as TP.
6
Actually in the 19th century many people in the NE USA in Reinaldo areas preferred the leaves of Witch Hobble. TRY IT, YOU WILL LIKE IT.
Or, here’s what my mother and her siblings did: “use a brown corncob, then use a yellow one too see if you need another brown one.” This was in the 1930’s when using an outhouse. Or the Sears catalogue. When they got indoor plumbing in 1944, I suppose toilet paper was used.
5
If you're not into a bidet, then sustainable green "paper" products like they have at bgreentoday.com are ideal.
4
What about the fact the blech is bad for the environment.
1
70% of Americans bunch while 90% of Europeans fold...why is that? Where and when did America learn to use TP this way? Inquiring minds...
6
@JonO It's a hand-me-down from the British. As a kid growing up in Scotland, bunching was what was taught. Folding is better, but probably stems from when the TP was dispensed in little waxy sheets one-by-one.
Re-cycling is effortless. In Germany, separating paper, plastics, and metals is almost mandatory. I sometimes think if the garbage collectors detect one violation (as in a plastic wrapper in with the newspapers) I'll get busted and they'll leave the container at the curb for another month.
2
@JonO I'm an American and I fold. I don't know where I learned to do it that way, but I've always been environmentally conscious, so maybe that's it.
Everyone should be buying toilet paper made out of recycled content. This is one of the easiest ways we can help save precious forests. Seventh Generation makes a 1000-sheet roll that doesn't "practically evaporate" but lasts a good long time. Marcal also makes a 1000-sheet roll with recycled paper. Both of these brands are highly rated by the Natural Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org/media/2019/190220). Scott gets a D grade for destroying forests. Scott was never the right choice!
11
@New York Parent
I thought Marcal went out of business after the factory fire in Paterson?
@New York Parent
Every will use recycled toilet paper when it no longer costs 2-3x what regular toilet paper costs.
Loyal tube free customer for years. Watched inventory disappear in stores then prices shot up online, so I reluctantly tried Grove’s bamboo toilet paper. Who knows where it ranks in environmentally responsible toilet paper, but I have to say, I prefer the feel and function of this tissue to my once beloved Scott tube free tissue. I hope this is a safe space to say so, and that I won’t be castigated by my grieving brethren. RIP.
43
The best TP is Who Gives a Crap. Lasts twice as long as 7th Gen, and NO PLASTIC. Bonus that it's shipped to you, for free.
By the way, my initials are "T.P."
21
I buy my TP from "Who Gives a Crap" - no old-growth trees were harmed, chic no-plastic packaging, delivered to my house. No more Costco old-growth TP wrapped in plastic.
10
Have you heard of the company named, " Who Gives a Crap?" (That really is the company's name). They are are all about the environment. Even more than Seventh Generation, in my opinion. They might have something to say about going tubeless. I use their products and love them and am also surprised that they haven't gone tubeless.
I appreciate you bringing this topic all the way to the NYTimes. And like the plastic water bottles, tp tubes is next in line to find their way out of our lives. Hopefully sooner than later.
3
The Health Market at the Hy-Vee grocery store where I live in Iowa has eco-friendly TP made from bamboo. It's also BPA-free, and soft and absorbent enough. There are several brands making bamboo TP - do a google search, ask your stores to order them, and save the trees!
1
How's about a simple wash cloth, hot water and scented soap? Followed up by a cold rinse to make sure to soap residue is at a minimum. I keep a separate towel bar for my personal items, but make sure when I have guests to remove those items and replace with hand towels. It feel much cleaner that using tp.
I thought the roll on a fixture was to avoid HANDLING the toilet paper. -- Hygiene? And what is the point of the roll configuration without the tube? Why not just a tissue box or some other configuration. And every bit of "information" taken in has to be somehow "flushed" out again.
3
My two cents: As a male, I have cut my TP use to almost nothing by using a $20 cold water bidet attachment that goes under the seat hinge. All you have to do after is dab dry. I can make a roll last at least a month.
19
Design AND Market it well and consumers will follow. Good idea that I had never heard or thought of. Thanks for your effort.
Sorry for your trials. In Italy multiple brands are easily found.
5
@Bob Muens
Multiple brands are easily found in the US as well. It's "tubeless" toilet paper that is hard to find.
I urge you to please read the article "The Issue with Tissue: How the U.S. Is Flushing Forests Away" on the NRDC website. The area of 6 hockey rinks worth of northern boreal forest is being cleared every minute to supply the pulp for this tissue paper, and the United States is using more per capita than anywhere else in the world, flushing it down the toilet. We need to stop supporting companies that are not using sustainable practices. Reduce your use, and use recycled paper. Yes it costs more, because unfortunately the cost is being passed to the consumer, but it is the right thing to do for the planet. We need those forests to remain intact; what's left of them anyway.
28
@Scott Tubeless and 100% recycled TP was my holy grail, but impossible to find.
Thank you for your research. I too wondered what happened. I was/am willing to pay a little more for tubeless to save the planet. Your reference to 600 year old trees just makes me angry. People need to look at the NASA picture Earthrise to realize how fragile our little blue marble is.
9
Scott’s tube-free paper wasn’t made of recycled paper, so it wasn’t eco-friendly.
13
Yes, that's in the article. Did you read to the end?
At the rate toilet paper is shrinking and the number of sheet decreasing in a few years all you will have left in a three inch paper tube. Has anyone noticed the all the new now claim they are 2-3 times more that the standard roll which now look half the size of a full roll a decade ago. In a few years there will be more cellulose in the roll than in the product.
7
Forget about the tubes. I’d be happy if manufacturers would stop the looser roll of the paper, trying to make the roll look fatter when it’s not. And the paper width is on its way to being streamer size. Their latest trick is making the perf work less efficiently ... resulting in enough roll-out on the floor to make your cat happy. And don’t you love the “12=24” re: the roll package count? More like 12=6 :(
10
I wonder whether that Seinfeld episode sparked some of this interest....
5
@the horror I can't spare a square!
Why not use a bidet seat and eliminate toilet paper? They are easy to add on to your existing toilet. Yes you need an electrical outlet nearby. Inexpensive ones start around $50 (tap water temperature) and those with inline heaters (for warm water rinse) cost start at $200.
38
@Franc Some of them don't even need an electrical outlet.
3
@Franc
Ditto!!! Good ones, such as those made by Toto, cost more than $200 but are excellent. Using warm air, none completely dry but, using them, we have cut out use of toilet paper by two thirds.
2
@Franc Amazon has them for under $30. Anyone can hook it up without tools.
3
If you shop at Key Food then you live in NYC and are already in the top percentile of planet preserves, we don't drive automobiles we don't live in mcmansions etc. (your tube only travels as far as Staten Island to be recycled)
1
I have been wondering what happened to it as well. I really miss it and always sought it out. Very disappointing to see it's gone forever.
1
I order a certain number of products from Thrive, an online service that seems to be environmentally conscious. No styrofoam peanuts for them! Instead each glass jam jar is wrapped in a special pleated paper. But here is the irony. After you unwrap the paper protective cover, each jar is enclosed in a double plastic bag. I wonder if anyone at the company thought about that packing decision before implementing it.
4
I’m a bit surprised that the focus of this article was on the recyclable, re-purpose-able core tube, and not the single use, unrecyclable plastic it gets packaged in. Surely the plastic wrapper waste is far more detrimental, and though take less space and weight walking the six flight of stairs, I rarely see toilet roll waste in the street while I certainly see tumbleweeds of single-use plastic littering our views often.
Not a solution for everyone, but in addition to the garden, the tubes make great fire starters when stuffed with a small amount beeswax and paper (and dried citrus peels with their natural oils keep them burning longer for those who can’t dispose of these in your worm/compost bin).
24
Amazed to hear that 70% of Americans bunch their paper while 90% of Europeans fold. I've always folded and never gave it a second thought. I too like the tubeless rolls and it's disappointing to hear that it doesn't save any paper and that they are discontinued.
13
The reason Europeans “fold” instead if “bunch” is that the standard TP here in Germany is 3-ply and very strong. Your fingers will NEVER tear through it. In fact the default facial tissue (aka Kleenex) is 4-ply, and I have to search high and low for 2-ply. Also the TP is perfectly manufactured so that the last square comes CLEANLY OFF the cardboard tube. There is no wasted square half-glued to the tube. And as all Germans know, we throw the tube into the paper recycling bin,not the trash.
5
@LivingIn Three Cheers for Tempos! I never travel without padding my suitcase with a general supply. Kleenex doesn't Kut It.
No doubt your quest will succeed, even when we are forced some day to live underground, skip every other breath, and watch the flooding of our continents.
4
I’d like to know how many people who worry over something as inconsequential as a TP roll will happily ignite a pile of logs in their fireplaces (in their weekend homes?), on a chilly evening, and watch all the heat (and pollutants) go up the chimney. I don’t used either of my fireplaces because they pollute and are inefficient. But just to keep this post on point, TP rolls stuffed with twigs make good fire starters. No need to buy twee bundles of “fat wood” from that overpriced lifestyle store in Brooklyn.
12
@Passion for Peaches Great tip! I occasionally use my super-efficient Swedish wood stove on the few frigid, overcast days when there isn't enough passive solar gain to heat my great room.
@Passion for Peaches
Living up where winters are long and cold we have our fireplace going all day several months of the year. A few cords of wood each winter lowers our heating bill by a couple hundred dollars a month. I’ll use the furnace only when the cost becomes comparable.
1
As someone who used cotton diapers for two of my four kids for budget reasons, I wonder how many people who consider themselves "green" choose the cotton option. I can assure all potential and new parents that 2 years of disposable diapers are a sin worth a lifetime of toilette paper innards
19
"My Tireless Quest for a Tubeless Wipe"
Knowing that there are dedicated people like yourself for whom concern for the filthy environment (of certain lack of sunshine areas, so to speak) is of truly animating force, makes me confident.
Confident, that with your yeoman's service of effort, and once we're, in short order, able to eliminate plastic...well, everything, living in hollowed out tree barks, communicating via cans with a string, dressing in plant-based loincloths, bathing in rivers, traveling barefoot, feasting on meal worms, lapping water out of a horse's hoofprint, and living nasty, brutish and short lives, the environment will be brought back into balance.
Imagine, it will al have started with tubeless toilet paper.
10
@Raven While this might be a good example of Poe's Law, I suspect you're serious with that hyperbole.
When I was a kid in the Fifties:
- We put our food waste in a pail in the ground. The local pig farmer picked it up weekly.
- liquids came in glass bottles, many of which were reused. Milk, soda.
- We did burn waste paper, maybe not so good but there are other ways
- Food came wrapped in cellophane or butcher paper.
- There was basically no plastic. I remember Prell ads boating that the bottle didn't break in the tub.
So laugh all you want. We waste much, we consume much that our descendants will need. We create mountains of trash with endless life. We can live well without all that if we make good decisions.
5
I understand why a bidet is better, but have always wondered what you dry off with- a regular towel? Then what do you do with that? Are you supposed to share it, or have one for each family member hanging in the bathroom? I’m not trying to have moist butt-drying towels hanging around...
What’s the answer?
5
@Matt Smith Don’t you already assign a specific towel for each family member? That seems like a no brainer to stop the spread of germs.
1
We have small towels on labeled hooks. We also keep recycled TP on hand for guests. We've got a septic tank, so limiting the amount of paper we put in it is a good thing.
Repurposed hair dryer on the vanity perhaps?
Late stage capitalism NYT articles
27
I personally hate tubeless tp - at my house, we end up w a whole bunch of random tp cores that don't work on our tp holder (which we like fine and don't want to replace with a tp basket). W regular tubes, we take 'em straight to recycling.
But really I came here to tell you that you can order tubeless tp from HEB stores in Texas, they make a house brand either under the HEB name or Hill Country Fare. Happy wiping!
12
In Ukraine and Russia, where I lived for 3 years, ALL the toilet paper was tubeless and it was grey because it was made of recycled newspapers (makulatura). Maybe go to the Russian section of town and see if they have what you're looking for?
7
@Ann "Russian section of town" may be the funniest line I've read all day.
They could always have two wash clothes (One wet and one dry) or hop into the shower immediately after expelling? There is also the Bidet argument.
Or evolve to expel in cubes or flakes?
Evolution is obviously the right choice.
2
Stop living in the stone age. Get a bidet.
34
NYT sports section works for me
10
I save my toilet rolls all year long for my spring seed starting. They make fairly good "pots" and the longish necks help protect young plants from the dreaded cutworm. By the end of the summer (if not sooner), they've broken down into the soil.
Don't panic, start a garden.
118
@Tim Assuming you are lucky enough to have a garden! This author lives on the 6th floor of a walkup. I doubt she has any outdoor space :(
6
On a slight tangent, the core in the middle of the toilet paper roll is properly called a "derder". See the book "A Child's Garden of Grass" for further explication.
5
Our primary toilet is a two-seater outhouse (with a picture window on the woods and plenty or reading material) that utilizes low temperature mouldering composting. I use the roll tubes, torn up into little pieces, as beneficial additional carbon material for the pile. Only use recycled products. As well no water flushing, just dropping and sawdust covering. And after two to three years (depending on how many folks sit in ...) some amazing humanure for our trees. Guilt-free pooping!
10
A composting toilet is an excellent suggestion, (although probably not appropriate for the author since she lives in an apartment). Not only saves water, but human excrement can be a good source of phosphorous and nitrogen as well; and much of the world's known phosphate reserves are running low.
https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/p-phosphate-could-urine-solve-fertilizer-shortage
1
Wait...what? I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st when I was reading this "article."
What kind of a slob lets toilet paper rolls pile up on the bathroom floor? The kind that ought to spend more time thinking about her personal hygiene than stressing out about how toilet paper is made.
I am choosing to believe that this is an early April Fools joke. Or that someone has hacked the NYT.
16
I know this problem is going to keep me up all night worry about the waste created by toilet paper rolls. If this qualifies for publication in the NTY, maybe I should read some other news source.
10
Use a bidet, soap, and voila, no more shlepping. Hemorrhoids will also never plague you.
9
It requires between 12 and 37 gallons of water to produce a single roll of toilet paper, while a bidet only requires one PINT of water to clean and flush. Americans use 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper each year.
GOOD GRIEF! Install a comfortable and practical $30 bidet in 10 minutes, instead of smearing xxxx on your lower body with paper, an idiotic and filthy practice pushed by greedy marketers!
33
@Alan
You wrote: "It requires between 12 and 37 gallons of water to produce a single roll of toilet paper, while a bidet only requires one PINT of water to clean and flush."
This is false equivalency. If you use a bidet as many times as it takes to use up a roll of toilet paper, you will have used more water with a bidet.
1
@Alan
People were using leaves then pages from newsprint catalogs long before commercial toilet tissue. Wiping is nothing new nor has it been foisted upon us by ‘greedy marketers’.
1
Throw the tube into the paper recycle ... some things didn't need to be invented.
5
Toilet paper problems epitomize first world problems. Having lived in India I converted happily to using water and never looked back. I notice how bleached and brilliant white your illustration toilet roll is; in Sweden they have used a dull light grey unbleached toilet paper for a hundred years; healthier for both your bottom and for the environment.
10
I order it from Amazon. People like me kill the market for the product in stores. Mea culpa.
Perhaps the engineer could consider that most folks who buy toilet paper already have a toilet paper roll set up and are not going to change.
It was at best a marginally better invention.
PS: decades ago, I was a janitor. If you are really worried about wasted paper, the problem is at the start of the roll.
3
Toto Washlet toilet seat ... and in France, the cores are flushable.
9
According to what I read they don't have toilet paper in the Maldives. And in Venezuela toilet paper is a luxury.
1
Congrats. PS: Grandkids love playing with the tubes.
I've been using Groves Seedling toilet paper. It's made out of bamboo. https://www.grove.co/catalog/product/seedling-toilet-paper/?v=5477&attrsrc=22&attrpg=catalog&attrpos=0
@J.S. I appreciate this link that you posted. I just placed an order. I tried the tubeless toilet paper and really hated it. I don't know why, I just didn't like the tubeless. Once again, thanks for the link..
@Donna,
You're welcome. When I find things that work, I share. That company has some other good products too.
“The Seventh Generation rolls practically evaporate in my bathroom…”.
Have you tried folding? Let’s make like the Europeans.
4
Essity with their Tork brand has a commercial coreless tissue.
1
As someone who has used toilet paper for at least half of my adult life, I found your essay remarkably interesting. However, you left out perhaps the main benefit of having that cardboard tube -- It's what tells you that you need a new roll of toilet paper. If it's no longer there to signal us, how could we possibly know a new roll is needed?
7
Seriously @gary?
I assure you that a spare roll is a feature of every bathroom I’ve ever had.
My switch to tubeless rolls has not affected that habit in any way.
why use paper at all? you worry about the tube while using a bit of water and washing is cleaner and less wasteful.
3
I doubt anyone only spends 1.3 seconds choosing a toilet paper, they already know what they want and grab it. I like the Costco brand and no thought goes into buying it unless Scott is on sale and cheaper. There are huge differences between brands for people with sensitive buts.
1
I used the Scott tube-free since the day it hit the market, and I miss it terribly. I don’t understand why it was discontinued. Perhaps it didn’t sell enough because it was nearly impossible to find in stores even when it was still being produced? Toilet paper tubes make me feel very… cranky, every time I take one off and put a new roll on. It was my understanding that special equipment was even invented to make the tubeless version. What a waste, quite literally.
1
Try not using toilet paper at all. Toilet towels are easy to clean, reusable and require no paper or plastic or shipping at all (recommend you start with a handheld or installed bidet before using towels for #2). Used towels go in a diaper bag (or other like bag that keeps smells contained) and then you simply wash and reuse. You can still keep a few rolls around for guests.
7
@trob Where do you wash these towels?
2
If recycling, while technically feasible, isn't going to reliably happen, how about reuse of rolls. Is there a craftsperson in your orbit? Tell the manufacturer they are missing a branding opportunity in the product's (?) second life as an incentive to keep offering it. See here for ideas, https://www.amazon.com/Things-Cardboard-Tubes-Super-Crafts/dp/1682970051/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_2/131-2897285-8993048?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1682970051&pd_rd_r=f2fc78ea-0e09-4daa-8745-a471c6a8714d&pd_rd_w=DACtU&pd_rd_wg=WQdgD&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=3GJ6H7EZFZGTG5E5B68X&psc=1&refRID=3GJ6H7EZFZGTG5E5B68X. If that doesn't work, you can go the non-cooperative route and use rolls as a costume to protest at the company's offices. While not intended for that, and with due respect to the artist, see https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/08/toilet-paper-rolls-squished-into-funny-faces-by-junior-fritz-jacquet/.
Maybe that will get them to re-think their decision.
Thanks for the work and persistence in a non-glamorous area.
I just remembered...I think hamsters like them. So while you'll still have to take the rolls down the stairs, you won't have to look at them as much once they're chewed up, and someone else gets enjoyment from them.
Thanks for introducing to your readers the concepts of recycled paper and cardboard products in toilet paper.
I really enjoy your research and access to primary sources!
The corporate consumption and waste of materials and energy in these most widely used products is critical. We can do much better and we consumers need better and more information so we can make better choices.
Please now take your reporting further: please go further into the efficiencies, durabilities, availability, and cost of various toilet tissues. There are many out now, some made from recycled materials, some from hemp, bamboo, and other materials.
Please forge onward and let us know more about what we can do?
Thanks very much,
stvj
1
The Hygienna Solo Travel Bidet is popped into the top of a plastic bottle and does the job just fine. Designed for campers, it comes with its own little container for packing, and costs about $12. It’s easy to aim, doesn’t leak at all, and is made to be inserted into a standard drinking water bottle. (Third try to name the product, as requested by a commenter. NYT, why is it okay to brand name Toto, etc. and not this??)
5
Far better still for the environment, a bidet! Uses much less water than manufacture of toilet paper and kills zero trees.
6
Water is surely the best way to keep clean, but if you can't install a bidet, it takes a little practise to wash using a jug or, best of all, an Indian "lota" as used by millions on the sub-continent. Once you are used to it, using precious tree-made paper no longer feels clean.
Kimberley Clark has been mentioned in these Comments, and a while ago I asked them why they put a plastic insert into their tissue boxes. They told me it was for "hygiene purposes." Kleenex used to come in a blue and white striped box, and when you pulled out a tissue, the next one came half-out, ready to pull. The single-use plastic makes this impossible, and is an environmental crime.
1
Use cloth hankies and skip the tissues.
2
@Leslie Holbrook Thanks Leslie, I realised as soon as I posted this comment that I need to kick the tissue habit altogether! Cloth hankies it is, and worn-out tea towels to mop up the kitchen floor.
What a waste of time to focus on toilet-paper tubes, which are hardly wasteful. Do something useful.
5
Seems like there are so many more opportunities to cut out waste.
The level of plastic going into the environment - and oceans - is of far larger concern than cardboard which does decompose.
7
@cynicalskeptic Sure, it MIGHT decompose, if you compost it, or bury it in your yard. But it won't when it's tied up tight in a plastic bag in a landfill. Better off recycling it with your paper recyclables. With that said, I agree that plastic is of serious concern.
1
This is an important article, demonstrating that in conservation sometimes the most eco-friendly actions are not necessarily a product of simple observation and intuition.
Unfortunately figuring out the impact of products we use and other conservation actions we engage in requires some deep digging to find the real answer as to what actually has the most eco-friendly impact.
I've seen "energy chain" diagrams in textbooks that show the energy used in the various life-stages of a product, and like this toilet paper story, ferreting out the true impact of a product can be very complicated. It's unfortunate that this sort of analysis is not readily available to reveal the impacts of the myriad choices we make throughout our day.
I want to do the right things for the planet, but I'm not always sure what those right things are!
5
Great example of competing evils. Nice to try to save some trees, but Scott Tissue is owned by the Koch Brothers. The little good they are doing here (although I suspect the tubeless rolls are more about cutting costs and increasing profits) is more than offset by the other things Koch industries does to destroy the environment.
I say boycott Scott tissue.
9
@Tomas Fuller FACT CHECK: Koch Industries does NOT own Scott. Scott is owned by Kimberly-Clark, and has been for 15 or 20 years or more. Koch does own Georgia-Pacific which makes several brands of tp, including Angel Soft, also Brawny paper towels and Dixie cups and plates.
2
A fun read, but my first crude thought was, "Get a life." Sorry. I agree with many comments that while this handwringing works on a micro level as allegory, it's really out of proportion to the point of being comic. Which you intend, no doubt, and yet is makes me wince. An actual analysis of the small ecological cost of having or not having the cardboard tube might be interesting. Maybe.
And what about all those egg cartons by organic farmers that waste huge amounts of plastic when we have decades of recycled paper cartons as beautiful examples of doing things right? Shameful ironies. Now there's a cause I'm ready to join!
9
The fact that we're still using TP in 2020 is beyond me.
4
@Bert, and we should use...leaves? Our left hands? Don’t say “bidet” because that is not an option available to all.
4
@Bert, considering people once used to use corn cobs and pages from Sears catalogs to wipe, Charmin is like a quantum leap.
2
We have recycle bins in 3 different areas of our small home to make it convenient for everybody to just throw in recyclables in the recycle bin. There are many ways to save water and paper in the toilet, install a bidet, change your toilet to eco friendly tank, use hand towels instead of big paper towels.
3
Boasting about the lack of tube while using mature trees to make toilet paper strikes me as green-washing. Get a bidet, a bidet attachment, or even just a bottle of water. And ask your store to sell TP made from recycled paper.
36
@What time is it?
Yes! Americans are so backwards! A bidet will save more paper than anything else, because you use just enough to dry your bum. Bidets are in every home in Japan and in most public bathrooms. In the major airports, there are three types of toilets: bidet, standard and squatter. There's always a line for the bidets.
9
For several years in Italy, you've been able to buy paper roll that has a tiny disconnected inner roll you can easily push out and use in your car or when you go camping. This leaves the big roll intact with an empty center to use on a conventional holder. So obvious and yet why is the US always behind the curve
4
@Peter In your car?!
1
@Peter What are you talking about?
1
@Peter Use... in your car?
3
A point not made is that the tube-less rolls are QUIETER when paper is pulled off.
We live in a small apt, and the normal tubed rolls make a thumping that can be heard by all.
1
This article was right up My Alley and opens up An interesting topic of why large corporations abandon a good product .
I have been living 1/2 of the year in France for the past 18 years and about two or three years ago I’ve discovered tubeless toilet paper in my local supermarket chain. It’s Available all over , at least in my Region
I assume Kimberly Clark gave up as that perhaps their patent was not worldwide and to retool all of their manufacturing facilities did not balance out economically for them.
It would be nice if there were tax incentives for corporations that manufactured products that were ecologically correct .
It seems doing the right thing is not a strong enough motivational factor in business ..
@Cathy Lol. You almost got me. Clever.
I live in Europe. The most popular brand of toilet paper ay my local supermarket is made from recycled paper. It’s not as soft as some of the other brands, but that’s what the bidet is for. Everyone should get at least an attachment. A plastic glass or bottle of water also works. And stop bunching up your toilet paper like 5-year-olds.
28
My condolences for your loss. I miss the days of soft ferns and seashells.
22
And while we are all concentrating on the 'tube'; how about the plastic that the rolls are wrapped in when you buy them at the supermarket.
83
As an artist, always looking for ways to surprise myself, I started painting with gouache on my used roll cores. I now even collect them from restrooms around the world, when I notice an empty roll just waiting to be reused. My current collection exceeds 500 painted objects. I often give them as gifts and have studio gatherings where my guests take a turn at it. Oh, I also paint on paper towel roll cores! Thanks for the article... hopefully, I’ve given you some potential ideas!
7
The idea of recycled toilet paper, such as from Seventh Generation, makes me nervous because recycled paper contains higher amounts of BPA, from store receipts that people mistakenly mix up with their paper recycling. Getting rid of other kinds of paper seems more urgent to me. At least toilet paper addresses a need, but the amount of junk mail I receive, not matter how hard I try to unsubscribe! And said store receipts, which as I mentioned are full of BPA, contaminating even money, need to go digital.
12
@Roberta
I agree that stores should stop using BPA-laden receipts, full stop.
But Seventh Generation and other companies that make tp from recycled paper are using office and industrial paper -- a lot cleaner streams, no receipts. You're safe.
Everything was going great with tubeless toilet paper until my local Key Food began to only carry the Scott "mega" sized rolls, which don't fit in my pre-war NYC apartment built in toilet paper holder. So I went back to tubes. Same problem with the newer ergonomic toothbrushes that don't fit in the built in toothbrush holder (although I use them for a different purpose).
3
@Larry
I had purchased a free-standing TP holder/stand because of that. I’ve always hated built-into-the-wall TP roll holders anyway, so was happy with this purchase. Easier to sanitize, too.
The mega rolls of tubeless were just fine on that stand, until I couldn’t find them anywhere anymore and am stuck with tubes again.
2
@Eirroc Option 2.0
Read the NYT. Cut the pages in 1/16 strips. Hang it from a hook that is next to the toilet. Wipe your bottom and drop the paper strips in a bucket. When the bucket is full compost the re-cycle paper.
i have been really sad too. i wish they'd at least just sell the patent to someone else.
4
Get a bidet. They're cheap, environment friendly, and are a lot more cleaner.
35
@Arnold Noronha I have a bidet. I still need to use toilet paper. (Though not as much as without one.)
3
@Kiryn agree. I lived in Greece had a bidet, which was a separate toilet bowl next to the actual toilet with a faucet. The water was cold, and then when done - you had to dry off.
HEB, a regional grocery chain in Texas, has a tubeless toilet paper they sell. Instead of a tube, there’s a separate small roll in the middle wrapped in a piece of paper. It’s called the “to-go roll” and I think it’s genius.
10
@Kristen Thomas Was about to say this! It's the go-to in my house.
Yes, the to go rolls can be found in some Mexican tp brands as well. I keep a couple in the car.
Here’s perhaps one tiny, if offbeat, consolation for you: Toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay make great toys for pet rabbits! Maybe your local shelter would like them.
8
@Julie Gray Kittens also have great fun batting them around. Look it up on youtube.
2
Hand held spray bidet. A power washer is better for cleaning and more eco friendly. Ever see someone clean their car with a dry towel? I didn't think so. So why do we clean our "bums" with a piece of paper. Crazy, and a little gross.
47
Me, too!! Why are these great new products lost? Are we such sheep that we can only buy what we always bought???
2
I, too, am grieving the disappearance of tube free. While I appreciate the (debunked) environmental angle, I can't lie: the top reason I loved this TP was the "one less thing" to take care of....plus, do I wash my hands twice now? Once upon exiting the bathroom and then again when I recycle that tube?
Thanks for solving the burning question of my grocery shopping trips. I'll go mourn my favorite TP in the bathroom corner where all the tubes are gathering dust and dog hair...
2
HEB -- based in Texas -- has tubeless toilet paper.
https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-twice-as-soft-plus-to-go-rolls-toilet-paper/2193615
4
Get a bidet.
You can thank me later.
35
Get a Bidet. Full Stop.
20
@MSM not such an easy pick when you live someplace with water issues, as we do, and must conserve every drop. Every so called solution has its downside.
1
You can easily install a bidet attachment to your own toilet.
4
@Mardi
As one commenter mentioned, you can use a squeeze bottle filled with water. It's better for the environment than using manufactured toilet paper, which wastes a lot more water than you'd use with a makeshift bidet.
3
Buy a Japanese toilet. Voila. Problem solved.
16
@Dred you mean the squatting pan one? that is the real Japanese one.
Ditch toilet paper all together and get a hand held "Bidet Sprayer" to power wash your nether regions. I discovered this method widespread while in Bali and got one easily installed on my toilet and will never use environmentally wasteful toilet paper again. Dry off with a hand towel and you are good to go!
5
@Jill Munroe
I won't be using the hand towels at your house...
13
Forsake toilet paper. Install a bidet attachment to your toilet.
5
Great reporting and writing--very informative. Thanks!
I live in Atlanta where the Emory Vaccine Center has a research center with a variety of primate residents. The primates there love the paper goods rolls, be it TP or paper towel. Friends and I collect them and several times a year make a trip to donate the rolls to the primates who shred, throw and decimate them. Better than recycling!
6
The need for new TP holders without a spindle would probably offset the energy and resource savings of tubeless TP rolls.
3
@Austin
the tubeless rolls fit on a spindle. there's a hole in the middle of the roll, just no paper tube.
1
First of all, not "every little thing" you carry up those six flights of stairs has to be carried back down. Given that the article is about toilet paper and why toilet paper is used in the first place, you should have realized this.
Secondly, if you are so concerned about wasting the cardboard tubes, put them to some other use. Cut them open and use them for writing paper. Boy Scouts used to use them for making fire starters (and perhaps still do). I'm sure there are school craft projects that require them. Cut them into rings and make paper chains for decorations for the holidays (World Toilet Day on November 19th, for instance). The uses are endless if you prefer to look for solutions instead of whining about how horrible things are here in the First World.
15
Use them to neatly keep small electrical appliance cords manageable.
1
Several years ago I went online to research the costs of bidets. What I found, even better, was a little item that is popped into the top of a plastic bottle and does the job just fine. Designed for campers, it comes with its own little container for packing, and costs about $12. It’s easy to aim, doesn’t leak at all, and is made to be inserted into a standard drinking water bottle. I keep it tucked away behind the toilet. Cuts way down on toilet paper use.
5
@Pavot That sounds like a good portable solution.
What is the name of the product you mentioned?
Thanks.
1
@Pavot
It's called The Hygienna Solo Travel Bidet.
@Liberal Dem in a Red City
It"s the Hygienna Solo Travel Bidet.
They have huge tubeless rolls at my gym - housed in a dispenser made for that purpose. What do you do at home? Leave it on the counter and use two hands to dispense?
1
@GC
the scott rolls are a normal size you'd find for home use. (ie same size as charmin)
Well. I don't have the perfect solution. But I have to let the readers of the NYT know about the joys of the P&G Forever Roll. Given that the Forever Roll is 10x the size and just one tube, it equates to about a 90% reduction in tubes. And it is a heavenly product.
2
What about the plastic pack packaging hat toilet paper comes in? We need to start using recyclable products there, like cardboard boxes or no package at all. Let’s save the earth.
8
@Tom
Most supermarkets where I live (west coast) collect and recycle plastic (shrink-wrap, baggies, shopping bags) now.
Yeah. Would rather have the old Scott Tissue in paper packaging return than worry about the tube. It's a lot of plastic around 8 rolls of TP
1
Get a pet chinchilla. Any spare cardboard will provide much entertainment for your new vegan companion.
4
@Alan
Whew, that was close! For a fraction of a second I thought you were going to suggest using the chincilla instead of toilet paper.
10
The focus on the environment is great, but the tube is really the least of the problems if you're looking for a "green" wipe. Scott toilet paper gets a D from the NRDC. There are other choices besides 7th Generation for environmental helpful tp. Here's the list. Also check out toilet paper made from bamboo. It's sturdy and not at all scratchy or flimsy feeling.
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/shoppers-guide-home-tissue-products
15
Has anyone else noticed how the tubes themselves have gotten rather larger, and that the toilet paper is looser on the rolls? (Allows manufacturers to raise prices furtively: the price stays the same but the amount of paper is less.
3
Likely not feasible for you, but I put the tubes in my compost.
2
Emily Flitter, a reporter who "covers" banking and Wall Street, recently figured out what many many of us who have ALWAYS only used toilet paper made from recycled paper have known for at least 25 years or more. The fact that her main concern was what she has to carry up and down stairs, and not the trees, reflects how pervasively consumer culture that focuses on convenience and price has doomed our future.
The fact that she didn't understand the main issues with toilet paper indicates how poorly the truth of our completely corrupt banking system has been reported on as well.
7
@JR
Gives you an idea of how qualified most of those reporters are in the field they report on.
If you are that concerned with the environmental impact of toilet roll tubes and the burden of hauling said TP to your apartment, may I suggest you try using leaves? They are free, easily available further reducing your carbon footprint and biodegradeable to boot.
3
I'm in an office building with about 4,000 people and we all use tubeless paper. When the roll gets down small enough to where it easily comes off the dispenser (about the size of a tampon), it gets tossed into the toilet without being used. I'm guessing there is a bigger waste in this than there would be if we had just thrown away the paper tube. I think recycled paper would be a much better option.
5
I buy the more expensive, soft Cottonelle toilet paper. I use TWO (connected) sheets per pass. I may make four passes for a total of eight sheets, but I'm sure people who wrap up their hand like The Mummy are using a lot more per bathroom break!
Sadly, this isn't quite as true for me at work, where they buy the next thing over from gift-wrap tissue paper...
2
Nothing like good TP. Forget about recycling, get a TOTO and wash it away. There, now worry about something important, like the incompetence in the White House or what movie you are going to tomorrow.
3
Actually the Texas chain, HEB has tubeless rolls. The tube is replaced by an inner roll that you pop out. It’s my fav and is also good TP. Perhaps you can order online?
1
The state should ban anything less than a triple roll. There are still packages of regular rolls. Why would anyone buy so little? As it is, all sizes are a lot smaller than they used to be. I remember when double rolls first appeared. The package seemed so heavy. When Charmin started their Mega roll they gave out special extended bars for it. I threw it out long ago because it is not needed anymore. All toilet rolls should come on smaller centers and with a much larger quantity of paper. This would decrease the cardboard waste. Should this really require a law to make this happen?
2
I recently purchased and installed the, "Brondell Bidet - Thinline SimpleSpa SS-150 Fresh Water Spray Non-Electric Bidet Toilet." It is relatively easy to install and the retail price is $34.99. This was recently reviewed in an article in the NY Times. I am using much less toilet paper and doing my part to help the environment.
5
Perhaps, instead of throwing out/recycling your toilet rolls, you should upcycle them. Spring is approaching - why not use them to grow seeds in that you can later transplant to bigger pots? Grow for friends, family and neighbors too.
3
It's incredible to think that we are cutting down 600-year old trees for toilet paper. And even more incredible to think that tissue product producers are not taking the onus to make tp that doesn't destroy forests (ahem, ahem P&G). Thanks Emily for delving into this hot topic. I think it's time all of us urge TP producers to take some responsibility to take action on climate change (aka stop making TP from virgin fiber). #WipeRight
5
If you would like a smaller ecological footprint when it comes to bathroom hygiene, look to Asia. Americans are far behind the curve when it comes to keeping clean and creating less paper waste at the toilet. Bidets, from the simple handheld spray you see Indonesia to the electronic versions ubiquitous in Japan, create far less paper waste than a tubeless roll. Using a bidet before wiping equates to significantly less use of toilet paper. Not only is is far more sustainable, it's more hygienic. Once you go bidet, you can't imagine how you ever lived without.
2
Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees! Scott doesn’t use post consumer recycled content in their TP - they use virgin pulp that is SFI certified, which is pretty much a sham industry certification. While tubeless is a good first step, better to use Marcal or 7th Gen that actually uses recycled content. I’d expect better research from the NYT...
https://emagazine.com/tube-free-toilet-paper/
5
I recently visited a psychiatric unit, and they had toilet paper without a tube, for safety reasons. Maybe try that angle?
I loved the Tube Free toilet paper. Glad I'm not the only one. I thought I must be nuts doing all my shopping at the single store that carried the product!
1
Tubes are great for dealing with ticks. Stuff them with permethrin soaked dryer lint or similar materials and tuck the tubes into corners around your property and the mice drag the lint to their nesting sites and the ticks die before they even get into the grass.
7
@Emily dryer lint is hazardous to birds, according to experts in this subject such as the Audion Society. Although it is popular to put out and seems like the perfect lining for a nest, dryer lint quickly loses its fluffiness and structure when wet. Dryer lint is unsustainable in the rain, crumbling and leaving holes in an otherwise solid nest. It also has harmful substances in it that can harm the birds.
1
Locating toilet paper that doesn't line the pockets of the Koch brother(s) is a pursuit that is perhaps even more frustrating and interesting than the the environmental cost of tubes.
Carrying tubes up to the sixth floor is much lighter than hauling the weight of knowing where our money is actually going.
3
We have a recycling bin in the upstairs bathroom next to the trash can for toilet paper tubes and other recyclables. Both receptacles are repurposed cat litter buckets.
39
I too loved the tube free rolls! I figured they disappeared because there simply weren't enough of us buying them. (I still believe that, because capitalism.)
But I always recycle my cardboard tube. It's a pain, but a minor one, and I have learned to do without… or rather, with.
2
I think it’s great for companies to come up with new inventive ways to produce product. But I find it silly that we are so freaked out about the environment when we are trying to cut out toilet paper cardboard rolls. I would imagine toilet paper itself is a bigger cause of deforestation that the cardboard rolls.
6
I am OK with cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls because I compost them. I also compost gray cardboard from aluminum foil rolls and egg cartons. It helps to get the cardboard wet before it goes into the compost pile. My compost is mostly made from organic yard and kitchen waste, and it all winds up in my vegetable garden.
5
I'm more concerned with the amount pf plastic that is used in toilet paper packaging. Plastic is the worst scourge on our planet as far as I am concerned. It clogs our oceans and kills fish and other wildlife. I have switched to Marcal which I order in bulk and comes individually wrapped in paper.
9
@Blair
Most plastic wrapping on the rolls is recyclable, too, at least in my area...check you recycling agency for better directions.
1
@Dan McGuire Hi Dan, Yes, I know it should be but since China is no longer taking our recyclables, my understanding is most of them are now going into landfills, sadly. Also, I just really want to eliminate plastic from my life as much as possible.
5
Nobody makes toilet paper out of 609-year old trees. Trees for lumber and paper pulp are a crop grown specifically for that purpose. They grow fast, are harvested, and replanted. Regardless, it is still best to cut down on use of paper so that less energy is used in manufacturing and transport, and less land needs to be cleared for facilities. Stop wadding paper!
25
@Mike Jacobs Yes, SOME paper is manufactured this way but this is far from a blanket truth. There are still PLENTY of toilet papers, tissues, and similar varieties that are made from virgin forests that are not planted and harvested in a "sustainable" cycle. You can literally see this for yourself driving through Canadian backroads.
3
Hmmmm, I am also a folder! Must be my European genes. And, I ALWAYS recycle the cardboard tube. Very interesting and informative article. Perhaps we should all install bidets with special towels like the Europeans do, as well.
9
Kind of exemplifies the problems with personal environmentalism. Eliminating toilet paper rolls is not going to do much to save the planet. The writer would do better putting her energy into other causes. Why not instead ask utilities and governments why they're shutting down nuclear plants (which produce virtually no carbon emissions) and replacing them with gas-burning turbines (which spew vast amounts of carbon dioxide).
Everybody seem to have their own ideas about how to save the planet, but most of these personal obsessions are not really about saving the planet, they're about looking good and something to talk about with friends and family.
7
Here are a few points you might wish to consider: New paper pulp is harvested from trees specifically grown to be cut and harvested for their pulp. New trees are continually replanted in tree farms that produce paper pulp. Therefore, your favorite roll of toilet paper did not originate from an old 600-year old oak tree. You can eliminate toilet paper completely by installing a bidet, which is much more effective in cleaning than paper.
16
@Ray
Bidets: But then unfortunately using more water, another limited resource.
5
@Tom It requires between 12 and 37 gallons of water to produce a single roll of toilet paper, while a bidet only requires one PINT of water to clean and flush. Americans use 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper each year.
GOOD GRIEF! Install a comfortable and practical $30 bidet in 10 minutes, instead of smearing xxxx on your lower body with paper, an idiotic and filthy practice pushed by greedy marketers!
4
TP made from bamboo instead of trees is much more environmentally sound.
8
Thanks for this! I'm with you - I also feel weighed down by the idea of all the rolls I produce. I've only recently convinced my roommates to start recycling our rolls, but it feels pointless with China accepting less recycling from the States.
3
The tube is the least of my worries. Did you know that every single one of those little PLASTIC labels on your fruit and veggies is NOT biodegradable? Did you know that every single plastic closer on your bread products is NOT biodegradable. There are literally hundreds of these tiny, tiny bits of plastic that will never biodegrade. What about my diabetic test strips---supposedly 3 a day---yes, tiny bits of plastic---mulitplied by all the diabetes everywhere. And so on and so forth. They all end up on the bottom of the ocean because no one anywhere pulls them out of the trash. I have several bags of these little tiny things and I refuse to put them in the garbage. But what to do with them is a mystery. Any suggestions?
21
@elle
All of those test strips, because they have even a small amount of blood on them are considered medical waste. While there are medical waste collection agencies out there, most of that waste is incinerated, producing a bigger carbon issue. I applaud you trying!
6
We tend to forget that first and foremost Scott is a business trying to maximize profits. The author may have answered her own question when she said “paper is not bulky, soft, sturdy (so you don’t need a lot)“.
As for bidets, we tend to forget those trade paper waste for water waste. There is never a free ride.
6
@Val Unless you have well and septic. Every drop that goes down the drain goes into the septic tank.
The water (effluent) then exits the tank into the drainfield. The soil accepts, treats, and disperses wastewater as it percolates through the soil, ultimately discharging into groundwater.
It percolates into the soil, naturally removing harmful coliform bacteria, viruses while returning nutrients into the soil.
It's actually more environmentally friendly and frugal than relying on municipal sewage. The average cost of water and sewage per household is $100/mo. Emptying a septic tank, done biannually, is about $350. And the cost of well water is electricity to pump and about $20 every two months for salt for the treatment system.
2
Trees aged 600 years were never used for wood pulp. Pines don't live that long. While I like 7th Generation, their director is full of marketing hyperbole.
Trees are renewable resources.
Most wood used for pulping or building for that matter are farmed trees that are less than 50 years old, and are replanted after they are cut done. Here in Maine, we have been doing this for 150 years. Cut, plant, grow. Cut, plant, grow.
98
@mainer Perhaps you should visit the BC interior to have a look for yourself at all the clear cutting done for wood pulp used to manufacture tissue.
https://www.nrdc.org/resources/issue-tissue-how-americans-are-flushing-forests-down-toilet
14
@mainer Ditto here in Wisconsin. I have spent time in the B.C. interior. The spruce beetle and forest fires play havoc on the forest too.
2
Consider having fewer or zero offspring. Results in HUGE carbon footprint reduction in general.
116
@Justvisitingthisplanet hardly a valid solution for those who already have children.
2
Hit the nail on the head - the central issue most people don’t or won’t discuss when talking about the climate.
7
If the author has this level of concern, the best answer would be to not use toilet paper at all. A good percentage of the planet, after all, doesn't use toilet paper, nor do infants. Keep old t-shirts and assorted other cloths on hand, use them for wiping, keep in a recycled plastic grocery bag after use until it's laundry day, wash and re-use.
I would like to say that this is how we do it at my house, but we do not. At my house, we spend our time on less-weighty subjects than toilet-paper tubes. That's just us.
12
@August West Old T-shirts cut into pieces work great. Treat them like cloth diapers until laundry day- then wash and reuse.
Using a bidet first is helpful also.
@Liberal Dem in a Red City
There's always the pressure washer option, I suppose. But what, then, would we do with the water? Seems a shame to just let it go to waste after just one use.
I’ve never worried about recycling tubes, except for covering some with pretty duct tape, attaching them to the bottom of a cabinet with velcro, and using them to store charging cables.
But I used to steal almost-used-up tubeless rolls from my workplace because they were the most compact way to pack TP for travel to countries where you might need some handy.
4
@Flânuese You can buy these at REI or the camping section of larger supermarkets. Unfortunately they come wrapped in plastic, but it does keep them from getting wet.
This article surprised me a lot on subject and how the issue was addressed, investigatively - in other words, really good work. I'm not sure this exists in the US, but here in Brazil we have a brand that, a while ago, developed toilet paper rolls that had a smaller roll as core, and you could just take it off and take it with you for emergencies - I always kept one my purse. Unfortunately, after reading this, I realized I am buying toilet paper in an authomatic manner in which I practically only check size and price and forget about the existence of these mini-rolls and how eco-friendly and useful those were. Meh, good products never last long enough. Unfortunately, I checked the company's website and apparently the product was also discontinued.
7
I applaud the writer's environmental concern. but I feel like the tubeless toilet paper roll solution is sort of like a person who uses disposable plastic plates for every meal switching to paper plates. Yes, it's marginally better but avoids the underlying problem. My solution has been a bidet which had been amazing. It's an inexpensive addon to the toilet and vastly better than toilet paper in terms of cleanliness and comfort. Think of all the waste you'd eliminate simply by adding a bidet to a toilet in your household.
77
Because you don't live in the West & don't have droughts. We're a lot more careful with water out here.
2
Perhaps if Americans learned to fold as the Europeans do that wold compensate for continuing the cardboard tubes.
2
Consider investing in a "Japanese Toilet" or at least a new lid with a water jet and your toilet paper use will go down dramatically.
28
please describe a "Japanese toilet!"
1
Terre, come on, you can’t use google?
1
@Terrie
it has a sprayer for washing your self after using the toilet and sometimes a temperature control along with other features.
It takes the place of a bidet.
1
And what about toilet papers with a roll dissolving into the water when the roll is done?
7
For the last year, I've been shopping around to replace my 15 year old toilet with a toilet with a bidet feature.
5
Why not just try to come up with a method of simply using less paper? Do you really need to hold a big wad of paper when just folding a few sheets will accomplish the exact same result?
6
Yes. And putting a big wad in at the start prevents splashes and skidmarks.
Sorry, having a hard time getting worked up over the environmental benefit of tubeless toilet paper. But reading The NY Times in digital paperless format, now you’re talking saving trees!
23
We are all sorry that you favorite paper has come to an end, but hope that the manufacturer will not be folding.
4
Come to Texas! HEB sells toilet paper rolls that are wrapped around a travel size TP roll instead of a cardboard tube. Great for camping and our 10 month long allergy season.
https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-twice-as-soft-plus-to-go-rolls-toilet-paper/2193614
4
Get rid of the toilet paper! Purchase and install a bidet kit on your toilet (about $30) and never use toilet paper again.
15
@Betsy Logsdon Many people living in cities are renting their apartments and do not have the option of replacing their toilet.
1
It’s a kit that can be very easily installed (DIY) on any standard toilet with no plumbing experience required. Google is your friend.
2
Leaving, you could install a bidet toilet seat. You don’t need to install a separate bidet.
1
I miss the tube-free rolls. I couldn't believe it when they disappeared from the store; they made so much sense to me.
If bidets were standard bathroom equipment in this country it would do a lot to cut down on overall TP use. I once had company who used an entire roll of TP during their 2 night stay. I am dumbfounded. It's not enviro-friendly and it's just plain wasteful.
3
I thought I was the only one who truly loves tube free! I wrote to the other big manufacturers asking them to do away with tubes but got back only blah blah sustainability blah blah responses. I bought every package at my local Stop & Shop when they stopped reordering (half price!) and am about to use the last of them. The author gets me!
4
Toilet paper is for cavemen. You should do what I do: install a cheap bidet and dry off with a quick blast with a hair dryer.
21
BioBidet or Tushy installed over my existing toilet seat completely eliminated the need for toilet paper - your greenest option is fresh, clean, and available NYC water!
6
I know! I am so bummed about this!!! Good to see I was not alone!
Most important in my choice: do not buy Angel Soft or Quilted Northern because they are both made by Georgia Pacific which is owned by the Koch brother. Recycled toilet paper is hard to find but worth looking for. (Whole Foods has it, Safeway has Seventh Generation.) Kindly save our trees won't you?
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@NYTSanDiego
Great in theory but it’s not realistic to expect everyone to spend 2-3x as much on toilet paper. If your choice is fresh produce for your kids or recycled toilet paper fresh produce should always win.
1
Try the brand Natural Value which is made of recycled paper and is not wrapped in plastic, only paper. However after reading comments, I may get a bidet.
1
Emily and all, Try Whogivesacrap.org. I believe they are better than any other options. Made from bamboo, not trees.
9
Getting a bidet is like getting a Tesla, its saving the earth plus it's luxurious, smooth, and your friends will be dying to take it for a spin!
63
Much a doo about nada.
25
Concerning 'sustainability', the tube is a red herring. The real issue is the use of older trees, boreal trees, to make the paper. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) publishes a "Toilet Paper Sustainability Scorecard", rating different tp brands on the boreal content in their toilet paper. "Scott 1000" and "Scott Comfort Plus" each rate a D. The A brands are Green Forest, 365, Natural Value, Earth First, Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's. None of those are available in my neighborhood, so I use the one B brand: Marcal. See nrdc.org/saveboreal
40
@patrapp Funny. For many years I used Marcal. At the time they said most of their source material was office and household paper from the NY metro area. It made more sense to me to use a somewhat "local" product than to use any product that might be trucked across the country. I moved a little farther south now, and Marcal is trickier to find, and I don't frequent stores that carry it.
6
@patrapp very useful. Thanks!
3
@patrapp thank you. NRDC has 4 stars from Charity Navigator. Happy to find them.
6
How's this for an alternative? In Chile we bought TP that had a cardboard tube that was in turn filled with rolled up TP! We took that small roll with us as we explored, since so many public restrooms didn't have it. So the cardboard tube was still trash, but at least we weren't paying for airspace.
4
This is fascinating, and wonderfully weird. But keep in mind that toilet room tubes are not useless. Hamsters love them. Children use them for crafts. My dogs look forward to that last piece of TP coming off the roll so thy can play with the tube, and then chew it up.
How can my dog grab on to the end of the TP and carefully pull it down the hallway, if there is no tube? The tubeless rolls don’t roll.
You can find lists, online, of things to do with TP and paper towel tubes. They make excellent mini pots for starting seedlings. You can stuff a paper tube full of nesting material for birds, and tie it to a branch near a bird feeder. Put some dried beans in the tube, tape it up, and you have a musical instrument for little kids. They can decorate the outside — with scrap paper, of course.
I prefer to find secondary uses for things, where I can, rather than fret about why they exist in the first place. I worry much more and the huge pile of junk mail I receive in my mailbox every day. My box is practically bursting with campaign material these days. Politicians talking about how they are going to stop global warming, sending out mass mailings? Yeah, right.
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@Passion for Peaches Sign up for "Direct Mail Association Preference Service" which will cut way back on unwanted mail (but it takes 3 months to start).
3
@Passion for Peaches
"You can find lists, online, of things to do with TP and paper towel tubes. They make excellent mini pots for starting seedlings. You can stuff a paper tube full of nesting material for birds, and tie it to a branch near a bird feeder..."
Such fond memories --
Back in the seventies - my college roommates and I would make a small cut-out hold towards one end of the TP roll -- and 3/4 of an inch square --
We'd push a small piece of aluminum foil into the hole - with enough to stabilize it around the roll --
Then we'd take a safety pin and poke a few pin holes in the foil inside the cutout --
And voila - !
We had our own hash pipe - good for smoking either hash or marijuana - cheap and very efficient --
Another item to add to your list of "Inventive things you can do with a leftover roll of toilet paper"...
30
@Passion for Peaches
I use the tubes in my garden. For the smallest seeds I set them in single ply toilet paper that is 10 feet long. I fold the toilet paper in half, place a drop of water on the seed to hold it in place, and then roll the sheet of seeds on the tubes. The toilet paper allows one to properly space each seed. And the whiteness of the toilet paper helps one appropriate the proper amount of soil over each seed. Some seeds only need an eigth of an inch of soil to sprout. Without the toilet paper, it's easy to bury the seeds too deep. The spent tube goes directly in the garden to break down and become compost. Cardboard is a surprisingly great material for composting.
14
Corporate behemoths like Kimberly-Clark are beholden to their bottom line. They're only going to produce eco-friendly products if it's profitable, and popular does not always equal profitable. If you're a Costco shopper, think of the times you fell in love with an item only to find it discontinued. You can plead, make threats, boycott, but corporations are tone deaf unless it's money that's doing the singing.
6
I installed the Toto Washlet bidet in my bathroom and toilet paper consumption went way, way down. After a little rinse there's only the need to wipe up some dampness. Ingenious invention.
240
@JLPDX
That’s nice for you, but most of us – including myself – do not have $1k to buy a toto washlet. Not to mention, would I be expected to just wait while I drip dry and trust that the washlet took care of all of my business, without a TP check or dry-down?
10
@Eirroc
Just buying the Toto Washlet cover that goes on top of your toilet is definitely not $1k - more like $200-$300. There are also cheaper options on the market. The amount of money you save from not using as much toilet paper also offsets the initial investment. Not to mention - wiping less has health benefits too!
To address your second concern, bidet streams are pretty targeted, so only a small area gets wet. I find that you can just dry off by wiping down once, and it's not messy at all. Additionally, some bidets (like the Toto Washlet) come with dryers built in.
15
@Eirroc
The bidet function can be added easily to your existing toilet for less than $100. Search online.
21
My tubeless t-paper of choice is also sadly, disappearing with the bankruptcy of Sears.
If it bothers you that much, make some reusable cloth wipes out of old rags. Really I think the average family would have a bigger impact by doing less online shopping. I pulled the plug on our Amazon account because I hated all the cardboard.
9
Buy a bidet seat and schlepping paper up and down 81 stairs becomes a thing of the past.
7
Factually inaccurate. Coghlan's sells tubeless toilet paper for campers. You can buy it almost anywhere. REI sells it for around a dollar per roll.
You could also simply remove the cardboard. A standard size Lexan Nalgene bottle is surprisingly effective for this purpose. I reuse the cardboard as hiding places for my snake. I'm sure gerbils and other small mammals would be equally grateful.
Of course, of course, you could simply buy the gigantic sized commercial rolls. Scott sells in 12 roll intervals. One cardboard tube = 12 rolls.
The point I want to make is you don't need to rely on producers to find solutions to ethical problems in consumerism. In most scenarios, you probably shouldn't. The producer is still trying to sell you something for profit.
The ethics of the relationship are always compromised.
3
I worked in a industry that provided equipment to the paper industry. The myth about all this is that the paper industry cuts down old growth forests to make paper. While this might have been true in the 1950's it hasn't been true for a long time. The paper industry buys "pulpwood" which basically a "farmed" product much like corn, soybeans and Christmas trees. Old growth hardwood and pine DOES get harvested for the building and furniture industry, however.
72
@Steve S This seems to contradict what environmental groups report.
8
@bounce33 environmental groups are not necessarily the most reliable sources.
I worked with Scott Paper in the 1990s as a consultant. Their paper at the time was mostly made from office paper waste - cheap, high quality, and easy to pulp and process.
Maybe things have changed, but I suspect it's still the same. Business will find the least expensive source of materials - recycled paper is an obvious starting point.
6
@Steve S Spot on. I own timberland in Wisconsin that is managed forest. Portions of the land have been logged for pulp and selective cuts for saw logs. The land is biologically diverse and ecologically healthy. Managed forests coupled with tree harvests are sustainable.
7
But without those tubes, then I can't stick them together end-to-end as they are liberated of their paper, seeing how long of a tube I can make.
I can't be the only person who does that.
10
I believe you may be.
12
How about a similar deep dive about why we can't buy toilet paper packaged in either less plastic or something else entirely? Why are jumbo packages of toilet paper composed of many mini-bundles, all individually wrapped?
215
@Ryan Excellent comment. I agree, why do I have to. unwrap a giant package and then unwrap four or 6 more.....
27
@revreq
Because people like me who divide a large package of plastic-wrapped rolls between several bathrooms, like that it keeps the rolls clean.
9
@Ryan
Paper towels, too. Costco's are double wrapped in plastic.
7
"Roughly 70 percent of us bunch, while 90 percent of them fold."
I wonder if the cleaning we have to do, versus what they have to do in Europe, is somehow connected to our respective diets.
4
Isn't saving 740,000 trees a year easier than planting new ones? Or in current political thinking, let's keep cutting them down because it's okay, we'll plant a trillion.
4
Thanks for the insight. I was dumbfounded when it disappeared. Loved it.
So Seventh Gen here I come.
Take heed Scott, your losing customers.
6
Come to France. You can buy “2 en 1” which has standard size rolls and instead of the tube, they insert a little mini roll that is easy to pull out and bring along when traveling. Perfect. The brand is Casino.
18
I’m shocked by how many of my environmentally conscious friends don’t use recycled toilet paper. It seems like such and easy switch to me, but many people don’t seem to think about it.
11
The trouble with recycled toilet paper is calling it "recycled toilet paper."
9
What do they do, set the used paper out in the sun for a few days?
1
@Tory There's no such thing as "recyled toilet paper," it's "toilet paper made from recycled paper."
3
I used the Scott tube-free as well until I discovered... bamboo. It’s soft, not “dusty”, fine with our septic, and much better for the environment because it regenerates quickly and I believe uses little water. I buy in bulk from an online company, it’s enough to last our family of three at least three months. It does have a tube in the middle, but I believe the environmental benefits of bamboo and buying bulk far outweighs the damage of the tube. Plus in our house, the tube is a great toy for the gerbils. :)
14
You know I used to buy the toilet paper without the roll but I didn't notice it gone from the shelves until you mentioned it. Sheesh.
1
Tube-free toilet paper seemed to be the norm in Laos when I traveled there last month.
4
Emily, thank you for enlightening me. I've been searching for Scott's tubeless TP for many months after my last roll ran out. I loved this product! I'm so angry with Scott for discontinuing this that I switched TP brands altogether and now dutifully recycle the tubes. I keep hoping Scott will see the error of their ways and bring back their tube-free TP!
5
It's a sad day when we acknowledge that Americans literally don't know how to wipe our own butts, needing massive wads of paper to do it.
As a previous writer mentioned, bidets are an answer. I have a used one of the high tech models for years that has a blow dry function. I thus use only a tiny fraction of the paper I used to use. A fantastic investment.
5
@DKintheBK : I honestly do not know who or what got that info on TP but … no, I do not "bunch up giant wads" of toilet paper and nobody in my family does (to my knowledge!).
Get a bidet toilet seat and you'll cut way back on your wiping.
52
Absolutely! And feel much cleaner too!
10
@tom Eating a low fat high fiber diet reduces the need for clean up too.
2
A good bidet would help reduce toilet paper usages.
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2020/02/25/808791622/why-america-is-losing-the-toilet-race
11
Get a bidet toilet seat, like the Toto Washlet, and your toilet paper needs will plummet. Your bottom will thank you as well.
43
@Mitchell : Toto Washlet: $429 and you have to have it installed.
No thanks!
2
One word to reduce waste, bidet. Your butt is cleaner and you only use a few sheets to pat yourself dry. Once you use a bidet, you'll never like using just TP. No need to buy the $300+ electric bidet toilet seats. There are $35-$75 bidets that work just fine. And don' fall for the hype of the water is too cold in the winter. Your butt doesn't care if the water is 33 degrees F, it won't bother you a bit.
160
@Philip
The best explanation I've seen about bidets is to go work in a muddy field, and then compare how clean you'd be after wiping down with a dry towel instead of taking a shower.
Still hasn't gotten me to try one, though.
8
@Philip
I completely agree. Even better, go traditional Asian, no need to install any bidet. Use a spout or squirt bottle. Available for a few bucks. Fully low tech/zero tech. No maintenance hassles.
And @Justin, I am one of those who is convinced by the idea that it's more hygienic to wash with water rather than only wipe off with paper.
11
@Philip I have lupus and thus am prone to infections of all types, particularly UTIs. I had a cold-water bidet installed on our toilet, and use it every time. reduced my UTIs by more than 75%. everyone should have one.
7
Ms. Flitter, its called a bidet (or if no room, a bidet seat) I compare it to buying an EV. Once you use it, you'll never go back...
15
It is not even close. Scott cuts down trees to make its toilet paper. Seven Generation and Forest Green do not as they use recycled paper. The main lesson here is buy paper that is recycled.
133
@Robert Why? The trees used for paper are grown for it on tree plantations. And the advances in land fills are such that all of the waste is safely placed in land fills. The problem with this sort of anguishing over something as frivolous as saving the cardboard center of toilet paper, is that there is no cost-benefit analysis. How much time has the author wasted, for example, in needless worry over a silly issue, which could have been devoted to better things.
6
@R.P.
You are incorrect as to where the trees are harvested from to make toilet paper. It is not from tree plantations. It from Canada's boreal forests. You missed the point of the post you; commented on.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-americans-tree-to-toilet-pipeline-is-destroying-canadian-forests-2019-03-01
15
@R.P. Even if it's made of a tree from a tree plantation instead of old growth forest, why are you using high quality, new material to wipe your butt? There are plenty of alternatives on the market. Go buy something else.
6
Don’t recycle the paper, throw it away. It’s carbon sequestration. I want to reduce my carbon footprint.
1
@Jon F Not sure if you are making a joke, but hopefully you are aware that the carbon impact of producing new paper vs. recycling definitely tips the scales in favor of recycling, to reduce your carbon footprint.
3
Rick, you know it eventually breaks down releasing the carbon, don’t you?
I MISS THIS PRODUCT SO MUCH! Thank you letting me know I'm not alone.
4
When I can find them in the store I buy the extra large rolls of toilet paper. It requires some very careful reading of the packaging to sort out all the claims of "larger rolls" but if you find them you have the advantage of rolls that last longer and, consequently you have fewer paper tubes per month to deal with.
3
Several years ago I attended lecture where I was told, that the toilet paper rolls are always made from a paper, that can be no longer recycled. Therefore there is no point in recycling them as “paper” and it’s okay to throw them into general waste.
I don’t know if they were talking about some specific brand, or generally about Europe, but it would be worth looking up.
4
I liked and bought the tube-free rolls too, even though as a mega roll it didn't fit well in my holder, but then everything is a mega roll so I'm out of luck there. Now I'm out of luck on the tube-free roll too. Tube-free makes so much sense that I can't believe it's not selling. The cardboard lobby must have muscled in.
3
Seventh Generation makes a roll with more paper (closer in feel to the Scott 1000 rolls) that will last much longer than the basic ones you find in 4 packs. It's sold (and wrapped) as individual rolls, and I've seen them in Whole Foods. Thanks for this article. I had wondered where the Scott rolls went and now I know. I also know to stick with Seventh Generation.
5
A subject so common, yet personal, and affects everyone, unless you are using a bidet. The core thought in this piece is ultimately rooted in what is your footprint on this planet by your consumer usage and waste? Sometimes taking something so mundane helps to understand our behaviors and patterns. We as Americans take so much for granted. Amazon will gladly deliver it the same day! I suggest taking the Native American approach-- how will this affect us all 3, 5, or 7 generations from now? What can I do through self responsibility and stewardship? How does my consumer consumption affect others and the planet? Start with your self. Make change by changing. It's that simple. For starters, fold rather then bunch. Happy wiping.
11
Thank you, Ms. Flitter and NYT! I liked Scott's tube-free rolls, too, and had been wondering what was happening. Could any pressure be brought to bear on 7th Generation to offer individual, paper-wrapped toilet rolls, rather than/in addition to plastic-packaged. Meanwhile, I'll slip my used, flattened, cores into my empty, flattened cereal boxes for recycling. Much appreciated!
8