The King’s Green Pad

photo credit: GorillaSushi

There are certain things people use everyday. Rarely do we stop to think where they come from or how they got to us. The truth is that everything we buy, even the synthetic things, originated in nature. Things we use all the time without thinking about it are effecting our environment.

In working towards living a lifestyle that is healthier for myself and the earth, I discovered a couple of things. One. I cannot believe how much paper towel I use. Every time, after I’ve washed my hands at work, I dry them with paper towel. After noticing this for a few weeks, I decided that I was going to start keeping a small hand towel at work. This is an idea that is already prevalent in Japan, as there are no hand driers in their public washrooms. Their hand towels are about the size of wash cloths, so they can fit into any bag without taking up too much room. My decision to take a towel to work was made a week ago, and the towel still hasn’t made it to work. But it will.

Another paper product everyone uses, but many don’t think of is toilet paper. I noticed last time I went shopping with my roommate that she bought toilet paper that was not only wrapped in plastic around the outside, but each roll was individually wrapped in plastic as well. I talked with her about how wasteful all the extra packaging was, but she insisted she was not going to pay more, as this was the cheapest type and all the girls in my house live on a budget. There’s something to be said for a budget, but there’s also something to be said for spending a few extra dollars every once in a while in the name of resource stewardship. As a result, the next time toilet paper needed to be picked up, I headed to Earth’s General Store on Whyte. There they stock toilet paper by Cascades made with 100% recycled fibres, produced with 80% less water than the industry average, dried with natural gas—one of the cleanest drying combustibles, and the packaging is made mostly from recycled plastic and can be recycled. But Cascades also produces rolls wrapped in recycled paper, which I was more partial to, and so I bought. Earth’s General Store is definitely not the cheapest place to shop in Edmonton. For six double rolls of toilet paper, it was just under six dollars. To compare, at Save-On-Foods, the same brand, but wrapped in the mostly recycled plastic, costs $8.99 for a twelve-pack of double rolls. Quite a bit cheaper. So as both the plastic and the paper are recyclable, I would lean towards buying at places like Save-On-Foods, although I do enjoy supporting independent local stores.

The other problem came with my roommates, who argued that the paper was not as nice as that which we had before. I couldn’t tell and difference, and quite frankly, is it truly that important that toilet paper be as soft as a pillow? It seems a bit absurd to me.

I have to admit though, before this month, I’d thought about the amount of packaging around the toilet paper, but not the paper itself. Was it aiding or harming the environment through the way it was made? I’ll think about that from now on.

It really is the little things in life that can make the biggest difference. One small action, made by many people, can create a big difference, particularly if it’s a small action you take on a regular basis. So think about the paper products in your home. Not just whether they’re recyclable or not, but how they’re produced. You might just find yourself changing the products you buy.

Maria Snip

This post was authored by Maria Snip, Financial Aid Coordinator for The King’s University College.