Toilet paper running through China's wood pile

State media, calling China "the country credited with inventing toilet paper" said excessive use of it and tissues was threatening wood supplies and raising calls for a return to handkerchiefs. Said Wang Yueqin, vice-director of Shanghai Paper Trade Association: "While I am happy to see many young people adopt paper tissue for its convenience…I am beginning to worry about the large wood consumption." China Daily said wood pulp used to produce paper has become China's largest import after petroleum and steel. Wang said Shanghai used 140,000 tons of tissues and toilet paper a year, which "consumes some 80,000 tons of wood pulp, equal to about 300,000 tons of wood".