Greenpeace develops mobile app for green paper products

Most Americans tend to show a preference for softer toilet papers. But that fondness for soft paper can have devastating impact on ancient forests, water sources, and wildlife worldwide, according to Greenpeace, which recommends that you buy the greenest paper products available, as covered in "Greenpeace Flushes Toilet Papers That Don't Meet Its Green Criteria."

Now the environmental-advocacy group has developed an application for the iPhone/iPod Touch, Android phones, and phones with Web capability that will allow you to get the information on more than 100 products in its "Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide" no matter where you are.

Greenpeace hopes that when you're staring at shelves filled with toilet papers, paper towels, napkins, and tissues you'll use the app and skip your usual papers—Americans are pretty loyal to their chosen brands of toilet paper—and buy green products. Greenpeace recommends only papers that are made of 100 percent recycled content and at least 50 percent postconsumer material and bleached without chlorine compounds.

Our recent tests of green toilet papers revealed that eco-friendly products have improved in recent years and come down in price. We also found that green papers disintegrated quickly, important to avoid damaging your plumbing or a septic system, but they proved only mediocre in softness and strength. At 8 cents per 100 sheets, Marcal Small Steps was one of the least expensive tested, recycled or not.

For details on 13 other toilet papers and three wipes, read our May 2009 report (available to subscribers).—Kimberly Janeway | e-mail | Twitter

Comments

[kathy]

Does anyone know the best exterior paint color to sell a house. The house is in St. Petersburg, FL.

[scottsdale luxury homes]

There is some misunderstanding, however, especially about the apparently huge and elaborate places that ambassadors appear to occupy. What you need to understand is that these residences are primarily meant for - and are used constantly for - representational purposes: receptions, meetings, congresses, etc that engage and involve American political, social, cultural and business interests with local authorities, businesspeople, rulers, despots, charitable organizations, NGOs, artists, cultural icons, etc. It is not unusual for there to be two or three such events every single day. As you can imagine, it is considered very prestigious to have attended an event at the US Ambassador's house, and this prestige is used for good effect to support American interests.

For these purposes, a large part (usually the ground floor of the building) is large, open, and usually decorated with art produced (and often donated) by American or local artists. Many Ambassadors have also collected and then donated local arts and crafts to the residences they have occupied only temporarily.