The Issue of the Tissue

What is up with toilet paper? I ask this because of a job I am doing at work right now which involves the visual inspection of microfilm for the provincial archives. Currently I am doing The Evening Times Globe newspaper from 1965 and I have been taking note of the advertisements for food, clothing, cars and the usual commercial commodities. However what has really caught my attention are the ads for toilet paper - with the good old 2 roll pack standing out in particular.

And this was in the era when the average family unit was 5 to 7 people! I started out working in the grocery business, stocking shelves with toilet paper among other things - and I can assure you that the 2 pack was the standard and indeed the single roll was quite popular too. My question is this - how did we do it?

Stop reading this blog right now - go to your closet and count how many rolls of toilet paper you have on hand. I'll wait... (Jeopardy Theme song)...

OK - I just counted mine and there are 18 rolls. A full 12 pack and the remains of the previous 12 pack and I didn't count partials or check under the vanity of either bathroom so I am guessing a total of 21 rolls minimum. I am willing to bet this is the case in most households. Why are we stockpiling toilet paper?

The world has changed and so has toilet paper. The roll diameter is still the same but they have quilted it and puffed it up so much that we are not getting the value we used to. You now need a degree in advanced math to calculate the square centimeters per sheet times the sheets per roll times the rolls per pack to make an informed purchase. And don't forget the ply factor.

I am not saying we should go back to the days of the using the Sears catalogue or even the one ply commercial grade stuff. But folks - we are "wiping out" entire forests here - doesn't anybody care? I am sure some toilet paper is made of 100% recycled material but think about that for a minute. What are they recycling?

Greenpeace has a lot to say about this topic but their solution is to buy premium priced products made from recycled paper to save the forests. A noble cause but I don't totally agree. This problem must be solved from the bottom up my friend - and the solution is right in your hand. We did it before and we can do it again!

We hear the term consumer demand being used so freely - so go to your local store and demand that they start stocking the good old 2 pack and stop trying to fool us with fluffing, quilting and baby powder. I think that with a little adult potty training we can get behind the issue of the tissue, wipe out waste and get to the bottom of this. It is time to sit down and be counted!

Epilogue - we stopped in to Canadian Tire the other day to buy some camp stove fuel and as we headed down the main aisle I caught Julie eyeballing a huge display of toilet paper - 24 pack! I just kept on walking....