Video by Informed as part of the Secret Life series
Do you know that how many trees are cut down in the name of paper you use for the toliet, copy machine, or every day use? Please watch the video above to find out.
Informed, a not for profit, has created this video as part of the Secret Life series to educate us on what happens to the paper you use. This is their second Secret Life video. The first one was about the secret life of your cell phone.
For those of you who want to skip the video, here are some cold hard facts to swallow about our paper use:
If every US household replaced one roll of virgin fiber toliet paper with 100% recycled toliet paper,
- we could save 330,000 trees.
- we could save 106,000 gallons of wastewater
- we could reduce 25,000,000 pounds of green house gases
Pretty shocking. This is not the first time I have written about recycled paper. Last year, I wrote about different recycled toliet papers, citing the Poop report as a source who analyzes different toliet papers from a consumer’s perspective. (Someone has to write about it otherwise how do you know which brand to buy?)
Given the facts above, what are you doing about buying recycled paper products lately? Any favorites?
Simply Stephen says
December 12, 2008 at 6:30 pmAs a green writer and lover of nature, it’s disconcerting to see the figures you cite…just for the US. In Canada, we are the world’s biggest producers of waste and it is a shame that we think that it will replenish itself.
Working on the reduction of consumption is certainly one side of the coin. But the consumer looks at the bottom line so the cost has to fit a “preconceived” price of what a product should cost.
The flip side – manufacturers and governments need to be more accountable for the products, systems, waste, bi-products, packaging, distribution and all other aspects of production. We vote the governments in so we have spoken…but we can still vote with our dollar when purchasing. Make the choice and make a difference.
I advocate green simple living.
Mother Earth says
December 12, 2008 at 7:46 pmawesome video and commentary
i didn’t buy holiday wrap this year – having part of the gift be a useful vessel something can be put in
Carolyn says
December 15, 2008 at 5:31 pmRecycled paper is important, but let’s reduce paper use by stopping the junk mail that comes to our mailboxes — 41pounds a year. 41pounds.org offers a great last-minute Green holiday gift: the gift of a junk-free mailbox. The nonprofit 41pounds.org service stops your loved one’s postal junk mail – and keeps more trees in the forest providing oxygen for us to breathe and absorbing carbon to cool the planet. You can buy and send a gift certificate online at http://www.41pounds.org, or by phone. No wrapping paper, no shipping charges, no worries. The service covers everyone in your household for 5 years and costs $41. When you sign up, 41pounds.org donates $15 to the nonprofit organization you choose – such as StopGlobalWarming.org, Trees for the Future, Grist, Carbonfund.org, Outward Bound and Habitat for Humanity chapters. Check it out at http://www.41pounds.org.
Justin says
December 16, 2008 at 12:10 amI’ve started buying TP that uses some recycled paper. It’s a little tough, but probably worth it. I also have used recycled printer paper, except for printing important stuff with specific paper requirements. Any thoughts?
Justins last blog post..Obama’s Green Team
Green Talk says
December 16, 2008 at 3:05 pmJustin, many printer store sell better quality print paper that is eco-friendly. Also check out Mohawk papers (http://www.mohawkpaper.com/searchpaper/index.php). You can choose which type of green attributes you want. I am sure they can direct you to who sells their paper line. I know a printer in NJ who uses alot of their products. (www.printresponsibily.net) Anna
Area Rug King says
March 9, 2009 at 1:17 pmThis talk about recycled paper is all good…but because of the economy backsliding, the cost of manufacturing it is actually more expensive and might soon not be profitable to cities to even bother going into the undertaking. Finding cheaper ways to re-process paper so it can become more profitable is the key. Just my 2-cents.
Christine says
May 24, 2012 at 3:20 pmIt’s funny that these shocking statistics don’t seem to have much of an influence on people. The common issue is that “not enough people realize how important recycling is and if they only knew it would change”. I beg to differ, as hard as it is to say, the people who hear these statistics still don’t even have a true grasp of the importance of recycling. What we need to do is provide some sort of incentive for recycling (ie: partial annual reimbursements, promotion, sponsorship etc.)