Flushed

I read in the newspaper last week that while nearly 50% of Europeans use recycled toilet paper, only about 10% of Americans do. Maybe these attitudes give a clue as to why:

Certainly, it appears the those in the US think that recycled paper is rougher and less soft than the recycled variety:

Not so! And when you realise that, according to the same research, more damage is done by the processing of virgin wood for toilet and kitchen paper than by the use of Hummers, you will see that for the sake of the planet we all need to turn to recycled as soon as we can.

I remember reading some years ago that Cher never goes anywhere without a supply of Charmin.

Here's what the manufacturers, Procter and Gamble say:

"We do not advertise in the U.S. with an environmental message," Sauers (P&G Vice President)says. That's because P&G doesn't think that its most of its customers care all that much about their environmental impact. But it's a missed opportunity for P&G to raise awareness. P&G is also clear about the fact that its sustainable innovations won't require consumers to pay more or give up anything in terms of quality or convenience. "If you give them everything they want, they will choose sustainability," Sauers says. "But they will not accept a tradeoff."

I don't believe Americans are that shallow (aside from the ones that supported Bush and liked Palin Bush) so I am appealing to you all to switch to recycled toilet and kitchen rolls to do a bit more to help save the planet. Even paper from sustainable forests won't do - it still has to go through the energy-wasting process that is so harmful. Don't be content with doing more damage than Hummer drivers!