Facial Tissue Box

Material Composition Assumptions

A standard facial tissue box weighs approximately 250 grams and consists of the following components:

• Virgin softwood kraft pulp tissues (180g, 72%): Primary material in conventional facial tissue products providing strength and absorbency
• Recycled cardboard packaging (65g, 26%): Box housing made from recycled paperboard content
• Chemical additives and wet strength agents (3g, 1%): Processing chemicals including bleaching agents and absorbency enhancers
• Bamboo or eucalyptus pulp blend (2g, 1%): Alternative fiber sources used in some premium or eco-labeled products

The tissue production process involves significant water usage and energy-intensive drying operations that contribute substantially to the overall climate impact.

Manufacturing Geography

Facial tissue production occurs primarily in regions with abundant forest resources and established pulp and paper infrastructure. China dominates global tissue manufacturing with coal-intensive electricity grids averaging 531 gCO2e/kWh. Brazil represents a lower-carbon alternative due to hydroelectric power and biomass energy integration in mills. The United States maintains significant domestic production capacity, particularly in the Southeast where softwood fiber sourcing is concentrated. Manufacturing location significantly influences the carbon intensity due to varying electricity grid compositions and transportation distances to consumer markets.

Regional Variation

Manufacturing Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated CCI Score	Adjustment vs Default
China	531 gCO2e/kWh	62	Baseline
Indonesia	709 gCO2e/kWh	71	+15%
United States	386 gCO2e/kWh	54	-13%
Brazil	85 gCO2e/kWh	38	-39%
France	52 gCO2e/kWh	35	-44%

Provenance Override Guidance

1. Fiber sourcing documentation: Percentage breakdown of virgin versus recycled fiber content with third-party certification for recycled material claims
2. Energy consumption data: Mill-specific electricity usage per air-dried ton of tissue production with renewable energy percentages
3. Manufacturing location verification: Facility address and regional electricity grid carbon intensity factors for accurate Scope 2 emissions calculation
4. Chemical processing specifications: Documentation of bleaching processes, wet strength additives, and any chlorine-free or hydrogen peroxide alternatives used
5. Bioenergy integration evidence: On-site biomass energy generation capacity and percentage of total energy needs met through renewable sources

Methodology Notes

• The CCI score represents cradle-to-gate emissions for a standard facial tissue box containing approximately 85-100 individual tissues
• Scope 1 emissions primarily reflect direct fuel combustion in manufacturing facilities and transportation
• Scope 2 accounts for electricity consumption during energy-intensive tissue drying and converting processes
• Scope 3 captures upstream impacts from virgin fiber harvesting, chemical production, and packaging materials
• The assessment excludes end-of-life disposal impacts and consumer transportation from retail locations
• Regional grid intensity variations can create substantial differences in total carbon footprint due to high electricity demands in tissue production
• Water consumption impacts are not reflected in the carbon-focused CCI methodology despite being environmentally significant
• Packaging assumes 100% recycled cardboard content, though virgin paperboard packaging would increase overall impacts