Cascades Tissue Group has introduced a 100% recycled, unbleached bathroom tissue — Moka™. Available now, Cascades’ Moka is beige in appearance, offering purchasers in commercial buildings hygiene and softness while reducing the environmental impact associated with its manufacturing. 
In addition to eliminating chemical whitening, this tissue product is made of a pulp mix composed of 100% recycled fiber (80% of which is post-consumer material and 20% of which is recovered corrugated boxes).
A life cycle analysis of Moka undertaken by Cascades revealed a reduction in overall environmental impact by at least 25% when compared to the company’s 100% recycled fiber bathroom tissue, which has been regarded as a sustainable tissue choice but includes a chlorine free whitening process for aesthetics.
Currently, 3.4 million(1) tons of bath tissue is used annually in the U.S., of which 53% is made from virgin fiber sources(2).
The product is also offset with 100% Green-e® certified renewable wind electricity; saving 2,500 pounds of CO2 emissions for each ton produced.
While Moka bath tissue is still cleaned and de-inked, the elimination of the whitening process reduces manufacturing impact associated to the elimination of natural gas and whitening chemicals. Virgin pulp prices have more than doubled over the past three years, invoking price increases in recycled fiber as well. By expanding to varied and more fibers such as corrugated, Cascades believes it can hedge its products’ exposure to commodity price fluctuations and white fiber shortages outside its control.
Cascades started offering its Moka concept with the introduction of a napkin line in the late 1990s.
(1) US Tissue Production, Converted Product Shipments and Consumption (RISI June 2011).
(2) Metafore, The Fiber Cycle technical Document, Metafore Summary Report, March 2006.
