The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has released its seventh annual “Issue with Tissue” scorecard, revealing that leading US toilet paper brands—including Charmin, Angel Soft, and Kirkland—continue to source materials from climate-critical forests such as the Canadian boreal, where deforestation rates reach 1 million acres each year. Despite growing availability of sustainable alternatives made from recycled content and bamboo, many top brands remain dependent on unsustainable forest fiber.
The NRDC’s comprehensive assessment evaluates 152 household tissue products, including toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissues, highlighting a significant disparity in industry practices. While 36 products earned A or A+ grades by prioritizing recycled materials, 80 products received D or F ratings due to their reliance on virgin forest fiber, predominantly linked to the boreal forest’s ongoing destruction.
NRDC’s rigorous analysis underscores the urgent need for brands to adopt environmentally responsible sourcing strategies to mitigate deforestation and climate impact, demonstrating that sustainable alternatives are not only viable but essential for the future of the tissue industry.
“No one wants to wipe away a forest,” said Ashley Jordan, corporate campaign advocate at NRDC and Issue with Tissue report author. “The tissue aisle is still packed with products made from carbon‑rich trees we can’t afford to lose—even as better options sit right next to them. Softness shouldn’t cost a clear‑cut. Consumers should choose toilet paper made with recycled content or FSC‑certified bamboo products and push the industry to catch up.”
The ecological stakes are enormous. If every American swapped just one forest-fiber toilet paper roll for a 100% recycled content roll, the nation would save more than 1 billion gallons of water, 1.6 million trees, and avoid nearly 800 million pounds of climate-warming pollution. This is the equivalent of taking more than 72,000 cars off the road for a year.
The boreal is the most carbon‑dense terrestrial ecosystem, storing roughly twice the amount of carbon held in the world’s remaining oil reserves. Industrial logging releases vast stores of carbon and fragments the habitat of threatened species such as boreal caribou.
Best and worst performers paint contrasting pictures
Among toilet paper brands, Aria, Green Forest, Natural Value, Trader Joe’s 100% Recycled, and 365 by Whole Foods Market 100% Recycled earned top A+ grades for their high recycled content. Another 36 products earned B or B+ grades, largely for using bamboo certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
At the bottom of the rankings, Charmin, Angel Soft, Quilted Northern, Amazon Basics, and Kirkland all received F grades. Procter & Gamble’s flagship brands—Charmin, Bounty, and Puffs—continue to rely heavily on forest fiber across their product lines. Kimberly-Clark brands, including Cottonelle, Kleenex, and most Scott products, also scored poorly, eeking out Ds instead of F grades based on the company’s commitment to avoid deforestation and reduce the impact of natural forest degradation across its supply chains.
In a notable development, Procter & Gamble broke out of the F category for the first time with its Charmin Ultra Bamboo product, which earned a B grade for using FSC-certified bamboo. While this represents progress, P&G’s core product portfolio remains among the industry’s worst performers.
Scorecard methodology and market trends
The Issue with Tissue grades products based primarily on fiber source, avoidance of deforestation and forest degradation, and bleaching method. This year’s assessment shows growing momentum for recycled content and responsibly-sourced bamboo alternatives, with 36 products receiving A or A+ grades and 36 receiving B or B+ grades.
