Flushing our forests down the toilet.

• Position: Growing demand of toilet paper in developing countries - YOUR LIFE

The equivalent of almost 270,000 trees either is flushed or dumped in landfills worldwide every day and roughly 10% of that total is attributable to toilet paper. Meanwhile, growing populations, adoption of Western lifestyles, and sanitation improvements in developing countries are driving the increased use of toilet paper. According to the Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C., the result is that forests are under assault by paper companies competing to fill consumer demand.

"Steadily increasing demand for toilet paper in developing countries is a critical factor in the impact that toilet paper manufacturers have on forests around the world and, with the increasing pressure to reduce and discontinue the use of old growth forests, the move is on to tree plantations," warns researcher Noelle Robbins, who adds that this cure could be worse than the disease.

While the paper industry often touts plantations as the solution to creating an ongoing supply of virgin pulp and fiber, these monocultures often displace indigenous plant and animal life, require tremendous amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and soak up large quantities...