To be considered recycled, paper with recycled content (including toilet paper!) should be made largely from ‘post-consumer’ waste – waste that has been used at least once by consumers, followed by collection and sorting.  Pre-consumer waste comes from the production of other virgin pulp that may have come from the fragile remains of old growth forests.

Stay clear of paper fibres that read “from un-known sources”. These fibres most likely come from poorly managed plantations in areas throughout Asia and South America.

Look for paper products that are “eco logo” or “forest stewardship council” (FSC) certified.

“In the next 24 hours, deforestation will release as much CO2 into the atmosphere as 8 million people flying from London to New York. Stopping the loggers is the fastest and cheapest solution to climate change.”

— Daniel Howden, writing in The Independent