Marcal Small Steps Bath Tissue

*Est. $7 for 12 rolls

Reviewed

February 2010

Best value-priced toilet paper

Pros

Inexpensive
100 percent recycled
Bleached without chlorine dioxide
Quilted and comfortable to use

Cons

Low post-consumer content
Not as soft as virgin-fiber toilet paper

Our Analysis

Marcal Small Steps Bath Tissue is a great budget-priced toilet paper with an added bonus, reviews say -- it's environmentally friendly. Marcal Small Steps is made from 100 percent recycled paper and bleached without chlorinated pollutants. Testers say this quilted, two-ply toilet paper feels absorbent and comfortable, and it costs about the same as cheap store brands that are rougher on the environment. Experts say Marcal Small Steps is a far better environmental choice than pricey premium toilet paper made from virgin wood fiber, such as Quilted Northern Soft & Strong (*Est. $5 for six rolls), although the recycled toilet paper isn't as soft. Reviews say Marcal Small Steps isn't quite as environmentally friendly as toilet paper from Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue (*Est. $4 for four rolls), though: Marcal is made mostly from paper-factory scraps, with 30 percent post-consumer content (such as recycled office paper and newspapers), while Seventh Generation uses 80 percent post-consumer fiber.

ConsumerReports.org subjects Marcal Small Steps toilet paper to its rigorous lab testing and then ranks it against popular toilet paper brands, both recycled and non-recycled. The Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace.org both rank toilet paper brands according to their eco-friendliness. Users at Amazon.com report how Marcal Small Steps performs in real-life use.

Quilted Northern Bathroom Tissue, Soft & Strong, 9 Mega Rolls = 24 Regular Rolls 9 ea

from Amazon.com

New: $9.99

Average Customer Review:

Seventh Generation Bathroom Tissues (100% Recycled) White 2-ply 352 sheets 4-pack (Pack of 3)

from Amazon.com

New: $23.95

In Stock.

Average Customer Review:

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

ConsumerReports.org includes Marcal Small Steps in its test of 19 toilet paper brands. Lab tests rate each brand's softness, strength, disintegration and tearability, and editors also consider price in their recommendations.

Review: Toilet Paper, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, May 2009

2. Natural Resources Defense Council

Environmental friendliness lands Marcal Small Steps near the top of this list of 50 toilet papers by the Natural Resources Defense Council. A chart shows each brand's ratio of recycled paper (and post-consumer content), bleaching process and more.

Review: A Shopper's Guide to Home Tissue Products, Editors of Natural Resources Defense Council, Aug. 5, 2009

3. Greenpeace.org

Greenpeace studies more than 100 brands of toilet paper and rates their environmental friendliness. It only recommends brands with at least 50 percent post-consumer recycled content, making it a little stricter than the Natural Resources Defense Council (above). Marcal Small Steps is 100 percent recycled, but only 30 percent post-consumer content makes it a middling choice.

Review: Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide, Editors of Greenpeace.org

4. Amazon.com

Users who buy Marcal Small Steps toilet paper in bulk from Amazon.com rate it an average of 4.5 stars (out of 5) in a dozen reviews. They say it's not as soft as premium toilet paper made from trees, but some find this recycled paper preferable because it feels stronger and more absorbent, as well as more environmentally responsible.

Review: Toilet Tissue, Embossed, Recycled, White, Contributors to Amazon.com

Charmin Ultra Soft *Est. $2 for four rolls

3 picks by top review sites.

Scott Flushable Wipes *Est. $3 for 51 wipes

2 picks by top review sites.

Quilted Northern Ultra Plush *Est. $4 for four rolls

2 picks by top review sites.