Save a Tree??

As a result of economic development and rapidly rising incomes, more people in China are using toilet paper, resulting in some concern about wood pulp supplies.

Wang Yueqin, vice-director of Shanghai Paper Trade Association, said... he was "beginning to worry about the large wood consumption" and the industry needed to consider other technologies and uses.

"We are trying to encourage the application of new materials and technologies," he said, pointing to one factory in Jiangsu province now making toilet paper from straw.

Another in southern Guangxi has managed to produce tissues from sugarcane. ...

"The 140,000 tons of tissues and toilet paper Shanghai uses every year consumes some 80,000 tons of wood pulp, equal to about 300,000 tons of wood," said Wang.

The price system should do a pretty good job of encouraging people and producers to consider alternatives.

One textile merchant said he hoped the pressure would reinvigorate use of the handkerchief, at least for runny noses.

"At least"??

h/t to JC