關于紙張使用的一份新報告指出，美國人正在把加拿大的森林沖進下水道。

這份新鮮出爐的報告由Stand.earth和美國國家資源保護委員會（National Resources Defense Council）聯名發布，其中描繪了“樹木-廁所”的流程，并得出結論稱“土著居民、珍貴的野生生物和全球氣候正在遭到毀滅”。

美國人的廁紙消費量冠絕全球，每周的人均使用量達到近三卷。他們選擇的品牌在生態上也不具有可持續性。這些廠商將硬木樹化成紙漿，制造消費者喜愛的柔軟廁紙。在美國的人均年用量141卷之后，名列第二的是德國的134卷，接著是英國的127卷。日本消費者每年人均用紙量為91卷，中國的平均水平僅為49卷。

報告估計美國的紙巾市場價值高達310億美元，并認為美國的三大紙品廠商寶潔（Procter & Gamble）、佐治亞太平洋（Georgia-Pacific）和金百利克拉克（Kimberly-Clark）應該為不在廁紙中使用可再生材料而承擔責任。

金百利克拉克的發言人對《財富》雜志表示，公司致力于生產衛生健康的產品，同時“確保森林的恢復力，可持續地獲取我們的纖維”。公司將就“報告中提出的復雜挑戰”與美國國家資源保護委員會“保持對話”，并且會繼續展現“金百利克拉克如何努力成為解決方案的一部分”。佐治亞太平洋并未立即回應《財富》雜志的置評請求。

在報告的可持續性排名中，第七世代（Seventh Generation）等環保品牌，以及全食超市（Whole Foods）和Trader Joes等基本款都得到了A的評級。而Cottonelle、Charmin、Ultra Soft、Angel Soft和Quilted Northern的評級均在D至F之間。紙巾品牌Viva、Brawny和Bounty也得到了D至F的評級。

報告的共同作者謝莉·維亞德在一份聲明中表示：“我們向寶潔呼吁：作為美國領先的廁紙品牌，不要再把森林沖進廁所里了。寶潔有著讓Charmin邁入21世紀的創新資源，問題在于這家公司是否愿意承載創新者的名譽，開發利用可再生材料而非樹木的可持續產品。”

寶潔的發言人強調公司一直致力于可持續領域的投入，并表示產品中100%的木質纖維都來自于經由森林管理委員會（Forest Stewardship Council）等第三方認證、有人負責管理的森林。發言人對《財富》雜志表示：“紙巾產品中的原生纖維更受消費者喜愛，而且能夠更高效地‘完成任務’。使用有人負責管理的森林的原生纖維，我們的產品會有更好的吸收性，因此消費者造成的浪費也更少。可再生材料制成的紙質產品較硬，吸收性較差，也缺乏原生纖維產品所具有的強度。”

每年，工業化伐木會砍掉超過100萬英畝的北部森林，相當于每分鐘砍伐七個冰球場的面積，其部分原因是為了滿足美國紙巾產品的需求。與此同時，紙張與印刷行業在Two Sides上表示，加拿大8.57億英畝的森林面積在過去25年里保持了穩定。

廁紙與紙巾中使用的硬木紙漿的價格在過去幾年里飛速上漲，這也推動了紙巾的售價。不過廠商在產品中采用再生紙的動作卻很慢，因為消費者更喜歡原木紙漿的柔軟觸感。

Stand.earth和美國國家資源保護委員會建議消費者首先減少廁紙的使用量，也希望廠商在衛生紙中增加再生紙和替代纖維的使用。（財富中文網）

本文在更新中添加了金伯利克拉克和寶潔公司的聲明。

譯者：嚴匡正

A new report on paper use says Americans are flushing away Canadian forests.

Stand.earth and the National Resources Defense Council just released a report describing the “tree-to-toilet” pipeline, concluding that “[t]he consequences for Indigenous Peoples, treasured wildlife, and the global climate are devastating.”

The U.S. consumes more toilet paper than any other country, almost three rolls per person each week. And the brands they choose to use aren’t sustainable, with hardwood trees being pulped to create the soft toilet paper consumers want. Following the United States’ annual use of 141 rolls of toilet paper per capita is Germany with 134 rolls and the United Kingdom with 127. Japanese consumers average 91 rolls annually, while the Chinese average just 49.

Estimating the U.S. tissue market to be worth $31 billion, the report took the three biggest paper product producers in the U.S. to task: Procter & Gamble, Georgia-Pacific and Kimberly-Clark use no recycled content in their consumer toilet paper, they say.

A Kimberly-Clark spokesperson told Fortune that it is committed to making products that provide health and hygiene benefits while “ensuring the resilience of the forests where we sustainably source our fiber.” It will remain engaged in “an ongoing dialogue” with the NRDC on “the complex challenges presented in their report” and will continue to demonstrate “how Kimberly-Clark is working to be a part of the solution.” Georgia-Pacific did not immediately return Fortune‘s request for comment.

In the report’s sustainability rankings, eco-friendly brands such as Seventh Generation and basic options from Whole Foods and Trader Joes earned an A. But Cottonelle, Scott, Charmin, Ultra Soft, Angel Soft and Quilted Northern earned grades of D or F. Paper towel brands Viva, Brawny and Bounty also got grades of D or F.

“We’re calling on Procter & Gamble, as the maker of America’s leading toilet paper brand, to stop flushing forests down the toilet,” report co-author Shelley Vinyard said in a statement. “Procter & Gamble has the innovation resources to bring Charmin into the 21st century; the question is whether the company will embrace its reputation as an innovator to create sustainable products using recycled material instead of clear-cut trees.”

A spokesman for P&G stressed the company’s commitment to sustainability, saying 100% of its wood fiber comes from responsibly managed forests, certified by third parties such as the Forest Stewardship Council. “Virgin fiber in tissue products is preferred by consumers, and ‘does the job’ much more efficiently,” the Procter & Gamble spokesman told Fortune. “By using virgin fiber from responsibly managed forests, our products are more absorbent, so consumers can do more with less waste. Paper products made from recycled materials are less soft, less absorbent and lack the strength that products manufactured from virgin fibers can provide.”

Industrial logging claims more than a million acres of northern forests every year, equivalent to seven hockey rinks each minute, in part to meet demand for tissue products in the United States. The paper and printing industries, meanwhile, argue that Canada’s forest area of 857 million acres has remained stable over the past 25 years, per Two Sides.

The price of hardwood pulp, used in toilet paper and tissues, has risen dramatically over the past few years, which has in turn increased consumer prices for tissue. But manufacturers have been slow to integrate recycled paper into their products, as consumers prefer the soft feel of virgin pulp.

The report from Stand.earth and the NRDC recommends consumers first and foremost reduce their toilet paper use, but also that manufacturers increase the use of recycled paper and alternative fibers in toilet tissue.

This story has been updated to reflect statements from Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble.