Tissue product guide: how the products were rated

Last edited 14 September 2007 at 11:28am

Each item in our tissue product guide has been rated according to information supplied by the retailers and manufacturers themselves.

Those containing a high percentage of recycled material or virgin fibre certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) appear in the top two green categories. Those with lower recycled and FSC content get an amber rating while products that struggled to prove their environmental credentials or whose manufacturers refused to give us any information at given a red rating. Some of the terms are a bit technical so there's a glossary below.

If your local supermarket or chemist doesn't stock any forest-friendly tissue products, ask them why not. It's pressure from customers that can force companies to improve their environmental policies, so don't be shy - ask to speak to the manager!

The product guide is correct as of September 2007, and retailers and manufacturers have also been graded in our league table.

 

Dark green arrowsThe Best
Dark green arrows

Everything in this tissue product is environmentally friendly. To achieve this rating, it must either:

  • contain 100 per cent recycled paper, including at least 50 per cent post consumer fibre
  • carry an FSC Recycled label
  • carry an FSC Mixed label, and contain at least 50 per cent post consumer recycled fibre, with the rest being di-inked recycled fibre or FSC certified virgin fibre.

 

Light green arrowsGood
Light green arrows

At least half of what has gone into this tissue is environmentally friendly. To get this rating, it must either:

  • contain over 50 per cent recycled paper including at least 25 per cent post-consumer or di-inked recycled fibre.
  • carry an FSC Mixed label and contain at least 50 per cent FSC virgin fibre and/or post consumer or di-inked recycled fibre
  • carry an FSC Pure label

 

Orange arrowsNot Bad
Dark green arrows

At least 30 per cent of what has gone into this tissue is environmentally friendly. To get this rating, it must either:

  • contain over 30 per cent recycled fibre including at least 15 per cent post-consumer or di-inked fibre
  • carry an FSC Mixed label and contain at least 30 per cent FSC virgin fibre and/or post consumer or di-inked recycled fibre

 

Red arrowsThe Worst
Red arrows

Little or nothing in this tissue product is environmentally friendly. It either:

  • contains very little recycled content
  • is certified by another certification scheme (such as PEFC, CSA, or SFI)
  • is completely uncertified
  • or no information was given by the company

 

Glossary

De-inked
Recycled material that had been printed but didn't reach its intended end use, such as waste from printers and unsold publications.

Post-consumer
Recycled material that was collected after the material has reached its intended end use.

Thanks to Markets Initiative who helped develop the product guide and league table.

Article tagged as: forests, FSC, league table, paper, product guides

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