A new “tube-free” version of Scott Naturals toilet paper will be rolled out at Sam’s Club and Walmart stores in the Northeast United States next week.  USA Today reports:

The 17 billion toilet paper tubes produced annually in the USA account for 160 million pounds of trash, according to Kimberly-Clark estimates, and could stretch more than a million miles placed end-to-end. That’s from here to the moon and back — twice. Most consumers toss, rather than recycle, used tubes, says Doug Daniels, brand manager at Kimberly-Clark. “We found a way to bring innovation to a category as mature as bath tissue,” he says.

He won’t disclose the tubeless technology used but says it’s a special winding process. A similar process is used on tissue the company sells to businesses but not to consumers.

Kimberly-Clark

USA Today: “Kimberly-Clark rolls out tube-free Scott toilet paper”