Image: Wendy Harman CC

Greg Williams is a tour director and lives in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. As a Tassie, he has a knack for local humour that makes him a central figure for travellers venturing out to Australia’s southernmost state.

Tasmania is the only state in Australia exporting forest products and it currently faces challenges from environmentalists and paper industry groups that are trying to establish consensus between increasing the island’s native forest reserves and protecting jobs at several paper mills.

Greg often travels to Australia for the tourist season’s high period. He plans his personal travel worldwide for the remainder of the year, especially when the strong Australian dollar helps make Aussies fervent consumers.

I think about the environment when purchasing paper products. I’ve seen on products such as Kleenex toilet paper that the package is FSC-certified and for me, this trademark suggests that the products are clean and safe for the environment. When I shop at supermarkets, it also means that I head for this image as it’s familiar, and so more often than not means that I buy FSCcertified products.

I’m not so picky about kitchen towels or napkins and usually buy a generic store brand or recycled paper brands. The specific feature I look for in toilet paper is that they are soft, at least 2-ply and that they have a slight print. My preference is also to buy recycled paper towels and napkins products.

I rarely use pocket hankies. This may be due to our climate which means that Aussies rarely get colds and flus such as those in Europe or the USA. I don’t even remember seeing a big selection of these products on grocery shelves.


Rachel Porter currently lives in Bristol in the UK. Originally from London, she works in schools and youth events for a children’s cancer charity.

The main tissue product I use is toilet roll. Occasionally I’ll also use pocket tissues if I’m unwell and need to blow my nose more than usual. I use toilet roll based on necessity, but I only ever use recycled. I also buy in bulk as it saves on price.

I buy toilet roll from the net when I do online shopping and I also bulk buy it so that I don’t have to slog them home, or do an online shop very often. Pocket tissues are usually bought from a shop, most often Boots so that I get more than one choice. I only ever buy recycled products as the environment is a big concern for me. Also, I don’t see the point in all those products with silly selling points like quilted, scented, or covered in dogs. You just flush it down the toilet after all.

‘I only ever buy recycled products as the environment is a big concern for me.’

Likewise for pocket tissues, if I ever buy them I steer well clear of certain products because of their bad eco credentials, so I usually choose Boots own recycled or failing that FSC certified.

My tissue buying habits have certainly changed over the years. I used to buy cleansing face-wipes because I was lazy with my skin care routine, but then a few years ago I realised that they’re a total false economy and left my skin feeling horrible! Now I use a muslin cloth that can be thrown in the washing machine.

I also used to buy kitchen towel, but now I never bother. It’s expensive and again nothing a cloth can’t do.

Generally, I’m more likely to carry more tissues/wipes on me if I’m on holiday because I’m usually more ‘on the go’ and less familiar with where I can find a toilet or what shops to buy from if I need them.