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 Paper Products - March/April 2008  |
Eco-Friendly Effort
Specialty retailers delve into the eco-conscious product movement while mass merchandisers have just begun to dip in their toes. The growing market for environmentally-friendly products in PL non-food categories is not limited to household cleaning products, but extends to paper products such as paper towels and bath tissue. Trader Joe’s, Monrovia, CA, and Whole Foods Market, Austin, TX, are both excellent examples of retailers that have embraced this emerging trend. 100% Eco-Friendly Whole Foods Market has displayed its dedication to preserve the environment by offering mainly natural and organic products. This theme also applies to the retailer’s paper product range. A shelf sign boasts, “Our selection of paper goods is made with high post consumer waste (PCW) to save more trees, reduce land fill, and protect water resources.” Shoppers can find an assortment of items including paper towels, facial tissue, bathroom tissue, and dishes. Its 365 Everyday Value paper towels are made with 100% recycled paper, and consumers can customize their sheet size. The product is whitened without chlorine bleach, is fragrance-free and produces “virtually” no lint. The retailer confirms that the product is eco-friendly by stating on the back of the package that the paper is made from 80% post-consumer content and that they are saving trees by using recycled paper rather than virgin wood pulp. The 365 line of bathroom tissue is also made from 100% recycled paper but differs a bit from the paper towels by being hypo-allergenic, free from dyes and fragrances and safe for septic systems. New to the line is its 365 facial tissue line, which are offered in large boxes of 144 2-ply tissues. The boxes come in designs such as stripes, leaves, and multi-colored. Whole Foods Market also offers a full line of paper dishes and cups. On the packages of the dishes, the retailer once again makes sure that the shopper knows the environmental impact it is making with its product, as well as the impact the consumer is making by purchasing the paper item. For example, the label on its snack plates reads: “By choosing our 365 Everyday Value Snack Plates, you’re not only providing high-quality disposable dinnerware for your guests, you’re also supporting ecological innovation. No trees were used to make these plates, which look and feel like conventional paper plates, but are made instead from sugarcane fiber, a fully renewable resource. Tough enough to hold up under the most generous portions of barbecue and potato salad, yet gentle on the environment. In our opinion, that’s a disposable plate that really does its job.” The plates are off-white with a green and brown label and drawing of sugarcane plants. Trader Joe’s also offers environmentally-friendly paper products, but not as wide a variety as Whole Foods Market. Seen on shelves were facial tissue that are 100% recycled, and don’t have chlorine or bleach. Two varieties featured were large boxes of 95-count 2-ply tissues, and pocket packs of 10, each pack holding 10 3-ply tissues. It is interesting to note that no regular-sized boxes of 3-ply facial tissue was found on shelves. Trader Joe’s also offered paper towels that are 100% recycled paper and 80% post consumer content. It is important to note that both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market’s recycled paper products are less expensive then brands such as Seventh Generation. For instance, at Whole Foods a 4-pack of receycled bath tissue is $1.49 while Seventh Generation is approximately $3.50 for the same product. A 12-pack of Trader Joe’s 2-ply recycled bath tissue costs $3.69 compared to Seven Generation’s 12-pack, which is about $12. A Recycling Revolution? A method a few brands have implemented is to combine a few rolls of toilet tissue in order to save plastic and space, which consequently reduces the amount of fuel used to transport the products. This approach is an aim of national brand leaders such as Charmin, who have rolled out their Charmin Mega Roll, which combines four regular sized rolls of toilet paper on a single roll. Although some private label retailers have not formally announced the same goal, mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart, Bentonville, AR and Target, Minneapolis, MN, appear to be going in a similar direction as national brands–trying to save the environment by manufacturing their bathroom tissues as double rolls, and paper towels in bigger rolls in order to use less packaging material. The private label paper products haven’t been specifically targeted or advertised as being eco-conscious by using this method, but the trend of double rolls featured on shelves seems to point to the aforementioned technique to save the environment. Wal-Mart has also pledged to promote products such as Charmin’s that help preserve the environment, as well as many other household products; however, although the retailer sells PL double rolls of bath tissue and paper towels there is no indication that Wal-Mart is intentionally manufacturing them to contribute towards the eco-friendly movement. Wal-Mart markets a Family Pack of 24 double rolls of its exclusive White Cloud brand. Although the White Cloud brand features double rolls, placed right beside the PL product is Wal-Mart’s no-name store brand and this line does not carry double rolls. Despite the call-out stating that they are soft and absorbent, the single rolls are rather small. On a side note, Wal-Mart also offers a product to help shoppers with their compost materials. The retailer offers large brown paper bags which state “Help us build a better tomorrow…Compost today!” on the front of the bag, which is to be used for grass clipping and leaves. The bag is self-standing, self-opening and can hold 30 gallons or 50 pounds of moist or dry refuse disposal. Like Wal-Mart, Target features premium double rolls of bath tissue. The retailer markets its paper products at a lower price than national brands: a package of 24 double rolls costs $10.79, while a pack of 24 double rolls of national brand Quilted Northern bath tissue is $12.79. Additionally, Target offers its PL paper towels in ‘big’ rolls; the retailer claims on the packaging that 6 big rolls equal 8 normal-size rolls. Drugstores are also offering double rolls. Duane Reade, NY, NY, exhibits double rolls under its 5th Avenue Preferred store brand. A call-out on the package informs shoppers that a four pack of toilet tissue contains the same amount of paper as eight rolls. Limiting Waste Imagine a world in which only a small number of trees had to be sacrificed in order to provide us with paper products. Well, this may take awhile, but retailers seem to be thinking of the future and employing different methods to save paper, plastic, fuel etc.–by using recycled paper, and offering double rolls of paper towels and toilet tissue, just to name a couple methods. Specialty retailers such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods offer the majority of their PL paper products with recycled paper, and although other retail segments don’t yet appear to have jumped on the bandwagon, but certain signs–such as double and big rolls of paper–are a positive indication of what the future holds. Recommended Suppliers
Products described or shown in this article are not necessarily available from these suppliers. For more suppliers see current Private Label Directory & Buyer’s Guide. |
