Monty Python

Education: tick, Opportunity: tick, Rule of Law: tick, Infrastructure: tick. I could go on and on, but what’s the point, have a laugh anyway.

Nerida Ayloot writes from the peak in today’s SCMP Letters page:

“At a ParknShop store in Mid-Levels recently I tried in vain to find any toilet paper that did not proudly proclaim to be made from 100 per cent virgin pulp.

What forests does this virgin pulp come from? Is it that important to the average Hong Kong consumer to only use toilet paper made from newly-felled rainforest trees?

The worst offender seems to be the dominant brand Virjoy whose branding is wrapped up in this farce.

However, even the cheapest home brand at ParknShop also promised to be made from 100 per cent virgin pulp.

It turns out that in ParknShop, if I care about such things, I have to fork out for the luxury of recycled loo rolls from Waitrose at HK$100 for a pack of four which, cost aside, has any benefit negated by the long trip the rolls have taken to get here.

I refuse to use Virjoy and there’s no other brand at ParknShop I want to buy. So what should my family use?

It seems she really wants to use recycled paper, I can just see her conversation at a dinner party; “I’m more green than you, I use only recycled paper to wipe my arse.”  It’s unfair to judge but l will anyway: living on the peak, with a large square air-conditioned footage and a couple of cars.  Does using recycled bog roll really makes a big difference.

Tokenism is the worst form of green activism, it allows individuals to claim the moral high ground at no real cost to themselves.

If she really wants to be green I’d suggest her family recycles the SCMP itself, along with her letter, at least then the letter will arrive at a more apt destination.