Mr. Weissman

Eco-Friendly Practices

Sustainable Bathroom and Facial Tissue

By Arthur Weissman, President and CEO, Green Seal, Inc.

Bathroom and facial tissue products are ubiquitous and essential elements of all property guest rooms. Despite their small size and lowly function, they have very significant environmental impacts. They are also to some degree associated with performance and quality issues, and many properties take considerable care in selecting them to conform with their standards or decor. This article will attempt to demonstrate how environmental issues can be addressed satisfactorily in choosing tissue products without sacrificing performance or quality.

Just How Significant?

First, a word on the environmental significance of this category. When Green Seal conducted an analysis for the State of California on the most important categories of products it purchases from the perspective of environmental impact and potential improvement, bathroom tissue came out at the top! The reason is that the paper fiber used in most conventional tissue has high environmental impact both from its source (forests) and from the manufacturing process.

Many tissue products get their material from so-called virgin fiber, that is, fiber directly from trees that have been cut down and pulped. Some of these trees come from plantations, others from natural forests, including some old-growth forests that have high species diversity and valuable habitat. Even plantations specifically grown for fiber may have originally been natural forests. In any case, extracting virgin fiber causes loss of habitat and potential erosion, reduced water quality, and other problems.

The manufacturing process of converting virgin fiber to pulp and then tissue causes significant air and water pollution problems. Pulping itself releases large quantities of chemicals, and the bleaching process even more so. In particular, bleaching with chlorine has high impact: it is a potent chemical which combines with organic matter to form compounds such as dioxins and furans that are dangerous even in small amounts and can accumulate in the food chain. Thus, chlorine bleaching contributes to water pollution and can harm aquatic organisms.

Selecting Greener Tissue Paper

There are ways to mitigate the environmental impacts of tissue paper, and products with these improvements are available on the market. One key way is to avoid using virgin fibers in the tissue, especially from valuable forests such as old-growth ones or those that harbor endangered species. Choose a product with high recycled fiber content, and look particularly for post-consumer recycled fiber. Virtually all tissue products use some recycled content, but much of it is post-industrial and does not particularly contribute to reducing waste to the landfill, of which about 40% consists of paper products. Paper products that have been used by consumers and are recycled are the best way to reduce waste while putting less stress on valuable forest ecosystems.

The next characteristic to look for is tissue that is not bleached with chlorine, with its potentially harmful effects. Don't worry - there are other bleaching chemicals that can be used; you won't have to make your guests use brown tissue paper. Instead of chlorine or chlorine dioxide, alternatives such as hydrogen peroxide, oxygen, enzymes, or ozone agents can be used to produce a white tissue.

Performance and Quality Issues

Besides color, tissue products must provide adequate performance and have sufficient quality to conform with the property's style. Tissue is designed primarily to absorb, and it should do so in a non-abrasive way - in other words, it should be soft to the skin. Technologies have advanced to the point where tissues with high post-consumer content can also have high absorption and softness. Comparability can generally be achieved between well-designed recycled brands and most conventional ones. At the very high-end of brands - completely virgin tissues at the deluxe level - there may be a performance advantage over recycled products, but most upscale facilities that make the switch to high-end recycled products have no problem. As with any switch from a current product to a new one, it may be necessary to try several different brands before deciding upon one that meets performance considerations and any other prerequisites (e.g., the box of tissues fits the existing property dispensers or is aesthetically pleasing if boxes are left visible, the products contain the right number of sheets per box or roll, the bath tissue is available with an embossed pattern if needed, etc.).

Consequently, virtually all of the top manufacturers of tissue are coming out with a line of recycled tissues. So there should be many to choose from on the market that provide high performance and quality.

Relating to Your Property's Style and Decor

The ultimate argument made against green, or environmentally preferable, products is that they are incompatible with luxury, comfort, and upscale style and decor. We have argued in these columns many times to the contrary, pointing out that toxic components, waste, and inefficiencies are hardly positive contributions to the guest environment. But what about bathroom and facial tissue - does it make a property look cheap to use recycled products here?

The answer really lies in the experience guests have in using the products, not in what they may say on their packaging. In fact, most conventional companies do not tout the recycled content of their recycled brands, and in many cases the box of facial tissue is hidden by a dispenser and the bath tissue is anonymous once the roll is unwrapped. Since we have pointed out that good recycled tissues are virtually identical in performance and quality to most virgin brands, there should not be a noticeable distinction. Hence, stocking recycled tissues can be fully compatible with your property's style and decor. Moreover, as consumers become more environmentally aware, your green products will actually be seen as a positive attribute of your property, particularly for products that are intended for but a single use and then discarded.

Getting the Best of All

Incorporating sustainable practices in hotels is really about getting the best of everything: enhancing the guest experience in all ways while maintaining a healthy indoor and outside environment. We have seen here that bathroom and facial tissue can be vanguard green products for your property and also promote guest satisfaction. Being commodities, there can be more flexibility in switching to preferred brands or trying out various brands to find the best for your situation.

Remember how significant this category is to the world at large, and choose your tissues accordingly.

Arthur B. Weissman, Ph.D., is President and CEO of Green Seal, Inc. He has experience in environmental science, policy, and standard-setting in public and private sectors. He has led the non-profit's resurgence as a force to make the economy more sustainable. He served as an international convener in developing the ISO 14000 standards for environmental labeling, and was the first Chair of the Global Ecolabeling Network. He has developed policy for the Superfund waste-cleanup program, served in the U.S. Senate as a Science Fellow, and worked for The Nature Conservancy. Mr. Weissman can be contacted at 202-872-6400 or aweissman@greenseal.org Extended Bio...

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