Look, Ma, no tubes!

Consumer products companyKimberly-Clark is about to roll out what it says is the world’s first toilet paper roll without a tube, a central toilet paper fixture for 100 years. The company will be introducing the tubeless toilet paper rolls in Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores beginning Nov. 1.

A survey conducted for the company found that only 37 percent of consumers say they often recycle the cardboard tubes. Eighty-three percent of those surveyed said they would be happy to go tubeless if it helps the environment.

U.S. households throw out an estimated 17 billion (that’s billion with a “b”) toilet paper tubes a year -- enough to circle the earth’s equator over 45 times, Kimberly-Clark said.

Which, when you think about it, is a whole lot of … cardboard.