eco tip: spare a square

last year, we switched to recycled paper towels because part of the reduce-reuse-recycle loop is to opt for products made with recycled content whenever possible. to be honest, i had no desire to make the switch to recycled toilet paper until our friend, the environmental engineer, schooled us on the the toxic journey that takes place when tp bleached with chlorine flushes down the drain.

allow me to break it down to you sans engineer speak. basically, traditional tp harms the environment on each end of its lifecycle. first from the environmental impact of the chlorine used during the manufacturing process (think of those three eyed fish that were the result of mr. burns' toxic factory on the simpsons) and then the chlorinated tp wreaks more havoc when it enters the waste water system.

of course, green tp is not as soft as our old charmin which may deter some folks from taking that step, but if you choose to make the switch alternatives to traditional household paper products can be found at your neighborhood natural foods store.

click over to the natural resources defense council for an in-depth product breakdown.

Comments

[Marie]

Another green tip I've learned through the years of trashing paper towels after my boys have just dried their hands is using plain ol' kitchen towels. I wash them every three days and they are up for using again.

Thanks for the nice blog!

[leigh]

aloha marie! thanks for pointing out that reusable is always the most eco-friendly choice!

cloth napkins are another easy way to make meal time a bit more green.