Eco-friendly toilet papers are trendy, but their actual environmental impacts vary

The Associated Press in CTV News
January 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Toilet paper…is typically made with trees, energy-intensive manufacturing processes and chemicals that can pollute the environment. Experts say more consumers are seeking toilet paper made from recycled content or sustainable materials, but it can be hard to know what to look for. Sustainable toilet paper often costs more, but can have significant environmental benefits. According to the Environmental Paper Network, a coalition of nonprofits, more than 1 billion gallons of water and 1.6 million trees could be saved if every American used one roll of toilet paper made from recycled content instead of a roll made from forest fibres. Increasingly, manufacturers are making toilet paper from recycled paper products … using chlorine-free bleaching techniques. …Looking for recycled content is a good place for environmentally conscious consumers to start, said Gary Bull, at the University of British Columbia. Preconsumer materials include scrap materials from manufacturing or unsold paper. Postconsumer materials come from used paper products.

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