Trying to make conscious consumer choices can be hard work. For example, buying tissues. Once I would have just bought the ones with the least-ugly box, but now I'm in the paper-products aisle for twenty minutes, blocking the aisle with my trolley while I read the fine print.
But I think I've finally got it sorted. The last two times I chose Kleenex: Two-ply, not ridiculously huge. Made in Australia from "plantations and sustainably managed forests that meet appropriate forestry codes". Far from perfect, but seems to be the best there is.
Why aren't there any Made in New Zealand? Don't we have forests here?
Updated 28.5.09:
Perhaps I should switch to Sorbent ...
WWF report on this issue:
http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/conservation/forests/our_solutions/responsible_forestry/forest_conversion_agriculture/tissue_issue/
(This 2006 independent assessment of major European brands rates SCA best, Kimberly Clark fourth of five. The others were not assessed.)
Kleenex (Kimberly Clark)—Made in Australia; raw material sourced from "plantations and sustainably managed forests that meet appropriate forestry codes"; bleaching method not stated; recycled cardboard box.
Updated 10 June—Phone call to Kimberly Clark information line: oxygen (not chlorine) bleached; fibre is from pine plantations
website: http://www2.kleenex.com/au/
Updated 11 July—Follow-up phone call from Kimberly Clark: NZ and Australian tissues are made from pulp sourced from a mill in South Australia, or imported from Thailand or Italy. Most pulp is PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified.
From corporate website: Wood is South Australian planation pine, South American eucalyptus and North American softwood. Around 10% is not certified.
Corporate website is: www.kca.com.au
Symphony "Sneezes" (ABCtissue)—Made in Australia; no info on source of raw material; "chlorine free"; great environmental claims on company website for other ABCtissue brands (Earthcare toilet tissue).
Updated 10 June—Emailed ABCtissue for information about bleaching method and fibre source 28 May 09; no reply to date. I'll let you know if any information comes through.
website : http://www.abctissue.com/web/nz/
Sorbent (SCA tissues)—large box = Made in Australia; small box = "Made in New Zealand from local and imported materials"; five-year plan to have all fibre from certified sources; oxygen (not chlorine) bleached; and some waste-reduction programmes in manufacturing process (see their website).
website: http://www.sorbent.com.au/
Update 11 July: Further digging on their website. SCA is a Swedish company. Certification internationally is FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council). Two mills in Australasia—Kawerau in NZ and Box Hill in Australia. At least some of the pulp for the Australian mill comes from Brazilian plantation eucalyptus.
Pams and Budget—Made in Malaysia and make no claims for greenness on the box.
And in all this—a simple, old-fashioned soft-on-the-nose reuseable cloth handkerchief is good! (Unless you have an actual cold and are germy ...)
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So, since you have probably done the research: How do Symphony (now branded "Sneezes", http://www.abctissue.com) rate?
ReplyDeleteI prefer them as they're the ones that get my glasses properly clean --- I've found that kleenex pill too much.
Yes, good question. I will try and add some more useful info. Re: your glasses - those special glasses cleaning cloths are good.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked further into the greenness of Pams and Budget?
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't as I'm sceptical about how green they're likely to be.
ReplyDelete