Think about the toilet paper you use. It sounds like a silly request, but it’s important to know what goes into the toilet paper and exactly how it is killing the planet.

For one thing, according to msnbc.com, none of the top-selling household products in America are recycled. This is disconcerting because that means that all the toilet paper we use daily is made from virgin forests. Trees are cut down so that we have some inconsequential piece of paper that we use for about fifteen seconds and flush away.

Graphic by Caitlin Cook

Americans’ obsession with super fluffy toilet paper for this minute portion of their lives also destroys forests. The long fibers of the virgin wood helps make the toilet paper air-fluffed and quilted, says foxnews.com. Some of the worst rated toilet paper as far as recycled content would be Angel Soft, Quilted Northern and Cottonelle, products we see and buy almost everyday. According to the EPA, even the chemicals stored at these paper plants to make paper pulp could actually endanger the lives of citizens in the case of an accidental release as well as cause disastrous results for the environment. As students, we can do our part to end our dependence on virgin wood and poor bleaching techniques.

Off-campus students should definitely make sure that the paper products they buy are at least some percentage post-consumer recycled material. These products cost about a dollar more than regular products at Walmart, so there is no real price issue. If someone told you that you could save the environment by donating a dollar, you would probably do it. Some of the best toilet paper, given its recycled content and protection of virgin forests, would be Ambiance, Best Valu and Sofpac.

They are made completely of recycled material and therefore protect forests. Is it too much to ask to sacrifice the comfort of your daily duty to keep the planet alive for your children and your children’s children?