Non-Bleached Paper Tissues

Most of us understand the virtues of recycling paper. However, when a lot of us read that something uses unbleached paper, we may not understand just how significant this is. This is EnviroCitizen.org's guide to explaining why bleaching paper isn't good for the environment. There are also a few alternatives that are out there that will be explained as well.

The US Natural Resources Defense Council provides the following breakdown of types of paper products (whether bleached or not):

• Totally chlorine-free (TCF): Virgin paper produced without chlorine or chlorine derivatives (the bleaching process uses oxygen-based compounds)
• Processed chlorine-free (PCF): Contains recycled content produced without elemental chlorine or chlorine derivatives, although one or more fiber components may have originally been bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives. Any virgin pulp is TCF
• Elemental chlorine-free (Traditional ECF): Replaces elemental chlorine with chlorine dioxide in the bleaching process. ECF with extended or oxygen delignification
• (Enhanced ECF): Removes more of the lignin from the wood before bleaching, thus reducing energy and chemical use during bleaching (the final stage uses chlorine dioxide). Enhanced ECF with ozone or hydrogen peroxide: In addition to removing more of the lignin from the wood before bleaching, substitutes ozone or hydrogen peroxide for chlorine or chlorine dioxides as a brightening agent in the initial stages of the bleaching process (the final or near-final stage uses chlorine dioxide).

The use of chlorine during the paper making process produces dioxins. Dioxins are a group of hazardous chemical compounds that occur naturally as well as due to man-made activities. In many studies dioxins have been shown to be highly noxious to living things. Dioxins do not readily degrade into other compounds. Instead they remain in the environment for many years. Dioxins accumulate in the fat cells of animals. Many studies have shown a relationship between high workplace exposure to dioxins and increased risk of cancer. Other studies have shown the same result when animals were exposed to high levels of dioxins. Additional animal studies suggest that dioxin exposure can result in reproductive and developmental harm. With these grim facts in mind, it is easy to see why switching to unbleached products is just for everyone.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) provides a very useful Paper Towel Guide. It has good data on different brands of paper towel, covering three important points: the bleaching process, the percent recycled and the percent of paper towel made from post-consumer waste. EnviroCitizen.org suggests you do some research and decide for yourself which type of paper product is right for you.