Sourcing your paper products responsibly is an easy way to tackle deforestation from home.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has taken steps to address the massive deforestation that tissue paper and paper towel producers are promulgating. In 2019, they published their first report on the issue and analyzed how these companies were destroying the boreal forest of Canada. Audubon notes that “the Boreal Forest in Canada alone is thought to hold a minimum of 208 billion tons of carbon under permafrost and in its trees, plants, soils, and peatlands.” The release of this carbon through deforestation is extremely detrimental to the ecosystem, displaces indigenous communities, and amplifies climate change.

In September of 2023, NRDC published their fifth annual The Issue with Tissue report in September of 2023. This scorecard rates tissue paper brands based on their environmental sustainability. The report considers factors such as percentage of recycled paper content, percentage sourced from forest or bamboo fibers, FSC certifications, and the use of bleaching.

This report addresses the key role customer choices play in “creating a more forest-friendly and climate-safe economy” because companies are held responsible to their stakeholders based on the profits they produce. If you are able to afford and access these brands, the report rated these toilet papers the highest: Everspring (Target), 365, 100% Recycled (Whole Foods Market), Green Forest, Natural Value, Reel Paper, Seventh Generation, and Trader Joe’s (available in person).

Check out the NRDC scorecard here: The Issue with Tissue.

Sources: NRDC, Audubon

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