Recycled Toilet Paper

Forget the rougher products of years past, today's recycled toilet paper has come a long way, reviews say. More than a dozen brands are now widely available for eco-conscious consumers at mainstream grocery, pharmacy and discount chains, but only a couple of these brands have been tested and reviewed for softness and strength.

Eco-friendly, recycled toilet papers are made from paper that might have otherwise gone into a landfill. The ones rated highest by environmental groups (such as Seventh Generation) are manufactured from post-consumer waste paper -- office paper, newspapers -- but a few other companies such as Marcal use paper-factory scraps to create their products.

One thing to note: The fibers in recycled products are shorter than the virgin wood fibers used to manufacture ultra-soft toilet papers. Virgin woods fibers, which are harvested from freshly cut trees, are longer in length -- a trait which increases softness. Consequently, experts say recycled toilet paper will never be able to achieve this kind of plush texture. However, recycled toilet paper takes less water and fossil fuel to produce than ordinary toilet paper, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

One product, Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue (*Est. $4 for four rolls) is the best of the bunch, according to user reviews at Amazon.com and EcoHuddle.com. Seventh Generation also wins a comparison toilet paper test at the environmental news site Grist.org. The Natural Resources Defense Council says Seventh Generation is one of the most environmentally friendly toilet papers consumers can buy, made of 100 percent recycled paper (80 percent post-consumer). It also doesn't use chlorine pollutants in its bleaching process.

In a head-to-head test by Grist.org, Seventh Generation is judged more absorbent and comfortable to use than eco-friendly toilet papers from Green Forest (*Est. $6 for 12 rolls) and Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value (*Est. $2 for four rolls). Volunteer testers try six varieties of toilet paper and judge each one's absorbency and overall comfort. Users at EcoHuddle.com and Amazon.com agree, giving Seventh Generation their highest ratings in the toilet paper category. It averages 4 out of 5 stars at both sites, with 13 reviews at EcoHuddle.com and more than 130 user-reviews in at Amazon.com. Users at both sites say the paper is soft enough, but they mostly appreciate its environmental friendliness.

Seventh Generation is also one of the most expensive recycled toilet papers. Our Best Reviewed value-priced pick is also recycled; experts say Marcal Small Steps (*Est. $7 for 12 rolls) isn't quite as eco-friendly as Seventh Generation, because Marcal uses more paper-factory scraps and less post-consumer paper. But a top consumer testing organization finds Marcal Small Steps strong and comfortable to use, and it costs less than Seventh Generation.