Green Certification for Towel and Tissue: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Although the EPA does not certify products, it does offer recommendations on what organizations should be purchasing in terms of green products.

The Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) program promotes the use of materials recovered from solid waste. The EPA recommends bathroom tissue be 20 to 100 percent recovered fiber, including 20 to 60 percent post-consumer fiber. Paper towels should be 40 to 100 percent recovered fiber, including 40 to 60 percent post-consumer fiber. It is recommended that paper napkins be 30 to 100 percent recovered fiber, including 30 to 60 percent post-consumer fiber. Facial tissue must be 10 to 100 percent recovered fiber, including 10 to 15 percent post-consumer fiber.

The EPA requires designation of products that are or can be made with recovered materials. Several criteria are considered when designating products, including the availability of the item, the potential impact of procurement on the solid waste stream, the economic and technological feasibility of producing the item, and other uses of the recovered materials that produce the item.