Soft, thick toilet paper nice on skin, tough on environment - Consumer NZ

Just when you thought your toilet paper woes were over, the softest, thickest brands get the thumbs down from Consumer NZ. Photo / 123rf

One of the softest and thickest toilet papers on the market has been given the bum's rush by Consumer NZ for its environmental friendliness.

The test of 26 types of toilet paper by the consumer organisation found that although some loo roll was kind on your skin, it's not so good for the environment or your plumbing.

Chief executive Jon Duffy said with the growing importance of making greener purchasing choices, Consumer NZ was keen to see which toilet paper broke down quickest.

"We were surprised that the softest product, Kleenex Complete Care (extra thick sheets), took a whopping 11 minutes to disintegrate – 20 times longer than EarthCare 100% Recycled, which took 32 seconds," Duffy said.

"We've known for some time the importance of toilet papers to New Zealanders – it's a product that consumers regularly tell us they want to be tested.

"We want to ensure Kiwis have the best information available to help them make good purchasing decisions in this critical area."

Consumer NZ assessed separation ease, disintegration time, environmental factors and puncture resistance to produce its toilet paper ratings.

"Products containing recycled or sustainably sourced paper or that are manufactured in New Zealand using locally sourced raw materials were awarded higher scores."

Printed, perfumed and bleached products lost points because of the additional environmental impacts of these processes.

"Manufacturers should be minimising unnecessary features in products where those features consume extra resources."

Consumer NZ also considered softness, but it wasn't included in its overall rating.

"It's a sensitive area and results vary depending on whether the user is a folder or a scruncher. We didn't want to give anyone a bum steer," Duffy said.

The good news is there are products that have a lower environmental impact and allow consumers to take the time to treat themselves to a higher level of comfort.

Top 10 recommended toilet papers were:

• Earthcare 100% recycled unscented white rolls
• Savers Printed toilet tissue
• Sorbent Silky White long rolls
• Sorbent Thick & Long Silky White (king size)
• EarthSmart 360º Recyclable Paper Pack 100% Recycled Paper long rolls
• Purex Soft White
• Quilton Hypo-allergenic unscented
• Sorbent Hypo-allergenic Thick & Large (king size)
• Quilton Ecoply (unscented)
• Sorbent Hypo-allergenic Pure White long rolls

Three products were "Don't buys":

• Essentials White toilet tissue
• Necessities Toilet tissue
• Kleenex Complete Clean (extra thick sheets) toilet tissue.