I am trying to change my ways – use both sides of paper before recycling, buy things in less packaging, etc., but each day brings a new challenge and a new decision – can I change this too?

I was under the very wrong impression that recycled toilet paper was scratchy and rough.

And when it comes to recycled paper towels, I was worried about the absorption. I mean, I am in the kitchen a lot and am constantly in need of paper towels. I need something that I can rely on.

That’s when I found Cascades, a multinational pulp and paper company that is committed to reducing waste. They have a “closed-loop program” that takes used paper and makes new paper (you can check out their website for more info).

Their products are 100% recycled and are made entirely of recycled fibres, so I am proud to have made the switch and am happy to say that they stand up to my rigorous standards and tests of spills, composting and cleaning my bedroom mirrors.

Did you know that you can save 50,000 trees with just one roll? And their 100% recycled paper products are made with “80% less water than the industry average and are dried using natural gas, one of the cleanest combustible fuels available.”

These products can be composted, are biodegradable and are safe for septic tanks and sewer systems.

I have made the switch and am thrilled to know that even though this is a small step, it is an important one.

According to the Greenpeace Tissue Products Shopper’s Guide:

“If every Canadian family were to chance one roll of virgin bathroom tissue to one made of 100 per cent recycled fibres, we could save:

-47,962 trees

-65.5 million litres of water – a year’s supply for 135 families of four

- 4, 567 kilograms of air-polluting effluents

- 3,204 cubic meters of landfill space – equivalent to 181 full garbage trucks.”

So now you have the stats and you have my thoughts on the incredible quality of the product.

What more will it take to make you switch?

p.s. I got my paper towels and toilet paper at my local IGA and I have seen them in almost all of my local supermarkets, so they shouldn’t be too hard to find!