Toilet Paper: Soft but Harmful

Giving up the comfort of ultra soft toilet paper is something Americans are not ready to do. According to research, sales of ultra soft toilet tissue rose 40% in 2008. Additionally, sales of the recycled kind only accounts for 2% here in America, compared to 20% in Europe and Latin America.

Recycled toilet paper is produced at a similar cost as non-recycled, however, without a certain fiber from standing trees, it can not achieve the same level as softness. As a result millions of trees are being used to make the softest toilet tissue.

Greenpeace, an environmental advocacy group, came up with a recycled tissue and toilet paper guide. Factors considered include post consumer product percentage, overall recycled percentage, and the bleaching process. To be recommended by Greenpeace, toilet paper must be 100% recycled content, with 50% of recycled content being post consumer, and bleached without the use of toxic chlorine compounds.

The top choice recommended is Green Forest toilet paper which is a Planet Inc. product. Other very good choices are 365, April Soft, Earth Friendly, Fiesta & Fiesta Green, Natural Value, Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's, CVS Earth Essentials, and Cascades. View the toilet paper guide in full for more information and recommendations.

Sources: Greenpeace
New York Times

Vintage Advertisements

Advertisements of the past tended to be full of words, instructions, and photos. Over the decades, marketers have performed many tests and much research to appeal to their targeted consumers. As a result, ads are less busy and more visually appealing.

Below are vintage advertisements for various bathroom products. The first ad was released in 1930 for the Si-Wel-Clo quiet toilet. Promoting an innovative, comfortable design, the Si-Wel-Clo was the most quiet toilet of the time.

The 1943 Scot Toilet Tissue advertisement below goes into great detail about an alternate use of the Scot toilet paper. The ad assures consumers that tests have proven Scot toilet tissue to effectively prevents the transference of disease when used as a disposable mask.


This vintage Jonny Mop advertisement from 1954 confidently promises to actually pay consumers to try their product. It also introduces a "modern" way to clean toilets.

The Proper Way to Hang Toilet Paper

Toilet paper may not be a popular topic of conversation but I know that I have had multiple conversations about the correct way it should be hung on a toilet paper holder. There are those who like the sheet to hang from the bottom, and those who like to easily access it from the top of the roll. It is especially frustrating when you visit someone's home or use a public restroom and you have to take time to figure out where the toilet paper begins. Thankfully, someone created a series of photos with discussions on what they believe is the correct way to hang toilet paper and the problems that may arise from not hanging it properly.



View all five photos and the full lesson in hanging toilet paper.

Source and Photos: Toilet Paper Article from Current Configuration