Which Brand Should Mom Buy?

Mom spent today shopping for toilet paper. I'm not kidding. She usually stocks up on toilet paper but she's really been slacking lately. Blame it on the weather or her hormones, I keep hearing that we're almost out of the stuff all the time. This of course does not affect me. I could care less if we run out but if we do the proverbial s**t is going to hit the fan.

Mom used to buy this brand of toilet paper. She would buy it at our local grocery store, Jewel. For some reason, Jewel stopped selling it in November. Why? Probably because people weren't buying it. I'm not sure why people weren't buying it but Mom tells me it's because it's made from recycled paper. That's a good thing, right? Not to everyone.

I've posted before about buying paper products that are made from recycled paper. This is called closing the loop. It's one thing to recycle paper but if you aren't buying products made from that same recycled paper then you aren't closing the loop. Your loop may be half closed but you can close it completely simply by buying the right products.

Now that Jewel doesn't sell this toilet paper, Mom has been on a mission to find a replacement paper. She has been buying the Trader Joe's brand for a couple of months, but she knows there are other brands out there and that there's probably even brands that she doesn't know about. So today she went on a hunt to track down toilet paper. Sounds like a good time, huh?

Mom's first stop was at Jewel. Why you ask? She decided to go to a Jewel in a different town to see if it was just our Jewel that discontinued her toilet paper. No such luck. Apparently all the Jewel stores have gotten rid of it.

Jewel has a couple of aisles devoted to organic/green products. Mom's brand of toilet paper hadn't been stocked in this aisle because its manufacture also makes a virgin toilet paper. This brings up a whole other issue about corporate responsibility that Mom will be working on this year (one of the resolutions she made) so it's actually a good thing that her toilet paper has been discontinued.

Mom decided to check out the organic/green aisle at Jewel today to see if any there were any recycled toilet paper products. This Earth Friendly Products brand was front and center in the aisle. It's important when checking out toilet paper (as well as paper towels and napkins) to make sure they are chlorine free and free of dyes. You do not need this stuff in your personal paper products. Equally as important is the post consumer recycled paper content. Most toilet papers contain 80%, like the Earth Friendly brand, but some are less. Check the fine print carefully so you can make the right choice. Mom loves this brand (she uses their laundry detergent) so she knew she would love the toilet paper. The only down side was the price.

The Seventh Generation toilet paper was sitting right next to the Earth Friendly brand. Mom knows this brand and likes it a lot. They are way up there on the corporate responsibility ladder and their toilet paper was competitively priced. Note all the bullet points on the packaging. They have a great product and they want everyone to know why it's great. No bad stuff in this toilet paper plus its softness has been improved. Mom spent so much time taking pictures that she never even used her GoodGuide scanner to get the real scoop on the various toilet papers. Duh!

This brand was completely new to Mom. It was not located in the organic/green aisle, but in the aisle with the regular toilet paper. She was intrigued by it because of its message - "Your purchase supports individuals with disabilities". Mom just had to check this stuff out.

Spirit is made by the men and women of Malcolm Eaton Enterprises, a non-profit agency located in Illinois near the Wisconsin border, which trains and employs people with developmental disabilities. What a great idea! They started making toilet paper because of the opportunities it provided. By teaching important job and life skills, these men and women find satisifaction and pride in being in the work force. It's very interesting how they got into the toilet paper business but you can probably guess why - money. Instead of having to rely on government funds, they starting making toilet paper for state agencies, then a few years later rest areas, parks, prisons, etc. throughout Illinois started purchasing the paper. After having success with their commercial product, they decided to create a retail line and that's what Mom saw at Jewel.

Mom was disappointed in Spirit because it is made from virgin paper. I'm sure that's to save on the cost of the end product but it's really bad for the environment. Even paper that is Forest Stewardship Council certified would be better than virgin paper from unsustainable forests. Mom loves buying products that support non-profits, especially those that provide opportunities for those who wouldn't have them without the non-profits, but she just cannot support a non closed loop solution.

So what did Mom do? She went to Trader Joe's and bought their brand. It is made with 80% post consumer recycled paper and both her and Dad like it. Mom didn't go to Whole Foods, but she thinks they sell their own brand and Seventh Generation. She is going to do some online research into other brands, but she needs your help. What brand do your parents use? Please leave me a comment with the brand name and I will have Mom read them. Someone out there has to use a brand that is Mom approved, right? Mom has already broken a resolution by spending the day hunting for toilet paper and it's only the second day of the year. Sheesh!