Should you buy biodegradable toilet paper?

Should you buy biodegradable toilet paper? Not necessarily. All toilet paper is biodegradable. However, you can make a more environmentally-friendly choice by looking at other features than just biodegradability. Look for toilet paper--in fact, almost any paper--made from recycled paper, rather than from new trees, as well as white and un-scented.

Also look for paper made from one of the new tree-less paper substitutes, like sugar cane, made from the residue left over after the sugar has been extracted. Waste is reduced because it’s created from a by-product.

Kenaf is an extremely fast-growing hibiscus plant. One acre of kenaf can produce 11 tons of "paper" fiber, compared to an acre of regular trees that can take up to ten years to be harvest ready, and would produce only around half the paper product that kenaf does.

Bamboo also requires extremely little water and has natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that make preserving it easier. Hemp, one of the most versatile crops in the world, has also turned out to be great for tree-free paper creation.

So to be environmentally friendly, look for more than just the advertising hype word "biodegradable."