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Paper Facial Tissue – History and Environmental Impact

Cold and flu season seems an appropriate


time to investigate our habit of using disposable pieces of paper made
from trees to wipe our runny noses.

This first of two posts investigates the history of paper facial tissue and
its environmental impact. The second post will examine green
alternatives.

Paper Facial Tissue History

Early people most likely wiped their noses on the back of


their hands, clothing, or both. Some still do.

Using a separate piece of cloth to wipe your nose may have originated
during the Roman Empire when people are said to have used linen
cloths to wipe their faces and noses. Fast forward to the 16th century
when Europeans repurposed the kerchief, a cloth used as a head
covering, as a cloth for wiping hands, faces, and noses. Thus the
handkerchief was born and is still in use today.
What Does World War I Have to Do with Facial Tissue

Prior to World War I, creped cellulose wadding was developed in


Europe as a cotton substitute. Kimberly-Clark brought the idea to the
U.S. in 1914 and trademarked the material under the name
Cellucotton. During a World War I cotton shortage, Kimberly-Clark
convinced the U.S. military to use Cellucotton for surgical dressings
and gas mask filters. After the war ended, Kimberly-Clark was faced
with finding a new market for their cotton substitute material.

If at First, You Don’t Succeed, Try Again

During the 1920s, Kimberly-Clark developed a smooth, soft tissue


paper. The first consumer product created with this material was a
feminine sanitary napkin marketed under the name Kotex.
Apparently, it was not readily accepted by American women. Perhaps
they were embarrassed to be seen buying such an intimate product
along with their groceries. Kotex did eventually catch on but in the
meantime, Kimberly-Clark needed another product that used tissue
paper.

The next venture was a disposable facial tissue for women to wipe off
cold cream when they were removing their makeup. It was
trademarked Kleenex and launched in 1924.

A Kimberly-Clark researcher with hay fever contributed to Kleenex


sales doubling in the 1930s. He used Kleenex tissues instead of cloth
handkerchiefs and convinced the marketing team to advertise Kleenex
as a way to avoid spreading germs, “the handkerchief you can throw
away.” This clever advertising approach elevated Kleenex from being a
niche product for women to a universal product that could be used by
men, women, and children.

Competition and Product Enhancements


Other companies entered the disposable facial tissue market
like Puffs, Scotties, and Angel Soft but the name Kleenex became
synonymous with facial tissue.

Over the past seven decades, facial tissue manufacturers have tried a
number of product improvements to increase sales and market share
such as adding colors, patterns, scents, lotions, and even germ-
fighting agents. Other advancements include providing a variety of
package sizes, creating designer dispenser boxes, and introducing
tissues with recycled paper content.

Paper Facial Tissue Environmental Impact


Americans use upwards of 255,360,000,000 disposable facial tissues a
year (yep, billions).1 That’s just in the U.S. The global demand for
tissue paper (facial tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins) is
expected to grow 4% every year through 2021 with China accounting
for just over 40% of the growth, followed by Latin America (15%),
Western Europe (11–12%), and the rest of the world.2

Let’s consider facial tissue for a moment.

Trees: regardless of whether the facial tissue you buy is made from
virgin or recycled paper pulp, it is still made from trees, a material that
takes years or decades to grow. Logging practices can degrade forests
thus contributing to global warming, causing loss of habitat for plants
and animals, and polluting waterways.
Manufacturing: paper plants are always located on a body of water.
They use copious amounts of water and electricity; emit pollution into
the air, and empty effluent into waterways. The environmental
footprint of facial tissue is increased when it is bleached white, has
something added like lotion, and is packaged in cardboard and plastic.

Transportation: raw materials and finished facial tissue are


transported to and from factories via CO2 emitting vehicles that travel
across the country and sometimes overseas.

Although the video below is not specific to facial tissue it provides a


good overview of what goes on inside a tissue products mill.

All this and for something you use for a few seconds and then throw
away.

Are facial tissues really necessary? In the next post, we will explore
that question and evaluate green alternatives to facial tissues made
with virgin wood pulp and bleached white with chlorine.

Reader Note: Angel Soft, Kleenex, Kotex, Puffs, and Scotties are
registered trademarks.

Resources: https://greengroundswell.com/paper-facial-
tissue-history-and-environmental-impact/2013/12/05/

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