'Santa Claus' arrested at P&G toilet paper protest


CINCINNATI, Ohio (From news reports) - Santa Claus is coming... to jail.

Environmental protesters worried about the plight of Canadian caribou and forests dressed up as Santa Claus and reindeer and delivered coal at Procter & Gamble's headquarters earlier this month.

The protesters object to the consumer product giant's use of non-recycled pulp in paper products, such as Charmin bath tissue.

The protesters circled P&G's Fifth Street campus with a wagon of coal before Santa (North Carolina resident David Freeman) was arrested by police for trespassing.

"When you use Charmin, you are making a responsible choice," a P&G spokeswoman said, noting Charmin is certified by environmental groups the Forest Stewardship Counsel and the Rainforest Alliance that the toilet paper brand is sourced from responsibly-managed forests.

The company has been subject to protests regarding this issue in the past, most recently at its October annual shareholder meeting.

P&G officials say the company is committed to recycling, but they don't use recycled paper in toilet paper because it's not as soft, as strong or absorbent as virgin paper. It also consumes more paper pulp using recycled paper and consumers end up using more toilet paper during a bathroom visit.

P&G executives say the company plants a new tree for every tree it uses.

P&G officials say they're working with other "alternative fibers," such as bamboo to develop improved paper products.