Now, let’s talk about toilet paper. Yep, you heard me right. It may not be the sexiest topic, but it’s a daily essential that can have a big impact on the environment. So let’s roll with it!
I’ve scoured the internet to research (and test!) the best eco-friendly toilet paper brands. These brands either use a variety of sustainable materials, such as recycled paper, bamboo, and sugarcane, to create toilet paper that is gentle on your bum and on the environment.
Best Bamboo Toilet Paper
Naked Sprout Bamboo Toilet Roll
Naked Sprout’s toilet paper is made from bamboo, which not only offers you a sustainable option for your bathroom needs but also gives back to charity.
With a percentage of its profits donated to Just A Drop, a charity that provides clean water to school children in Kenya, you can feel good about your purchase.
Made from 100% bamboo, this toilet paper is unbleached and chemical-free, giving it a distinctive light-brown colour.
While the natural colour may not be to your taste, if you’re looking for an eco-friendly toilet paper brand that makes a positive impact, Naked Sprout Unbleached Bamboo Toilet Roll is a great choice for your sustainable bathroom routine.
I’ve also written a review of why Naked Sprout is my toilet paper of choice!
Bumboo Toilet Paper
With a commitment to sustainability that goes beyond the bathroom, Bumboo shines as a top choice for eco-conscious consumers.
Their toilet paper is made from 100% bamboo, comes in a 3-ply, and is also non-toxic, fragrance-free, and naturally hypoallergenic.
Bumboo keeps it responsible with individually wrapped rolls using FSC certified paper, all packaged in a recycled cardboard box for shipping. Even their inks are planet-friendly, using soybean-based inks.
Bumboo is all about planting trees and reducing its carbon footprint. For every box of Bumboo purchased, they plant a tree in partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects. Not only that, but their delivery is carbon neutral, so you can feel extra good about your purchase.
The Cheeky Panda Bamboo Toilet Rolls
The Cheeky Panda offer a fantastic FSC Certified bamboo toilet paper amongst other household products. The Cheeky Panda can prove their commitment to sustainability by being a B Corp, which means they prioritize positive economic, social, and environmental practices.
The packaging is plastic-free, and the product is also vegan-friendly and cruelty free.
The toilet roll comes unwrapped (which means less waste packaging) and the paper is soft to touch. If you prefer your toilet paper to be a more a familiar white colour, you might prefer The Cheeky Panda to Naked Sprout!
Like many of these products, this toilet paper is made in China, which may not be ideal for those looking for locally sourced products.
Bazoo Bamboo Toilet Paper
Bazoo’s Bamboo Toilet Paper is an environmentally-friendly and sustainable alternative to traditional toilet paper.
Their toilet paper is made from 100% bamboo, comes in a 3-ply, and each roll is wrapped individually in colourful recyclable paper.
One of the biggest selling points of Bazoo, like competitors Naked Sprout and The Cheeky Panda, is that it’s made from bamboo, which is a sustainable and renewable resource.
Bazoo keeps it green with rolls packaged in a recycled FSC-sourced cardboard box for shipping.
With every purchase, you’re also contributing to rainforest conservation through RAINFOREST TRUST UK and marine conservation through JUSTONEOCEAN.
Best Recycled Toilet Paper
Who Gives A Crap Recycled Toilet Roll
Made from 100% recycled paper, Who Gives a Crap toilet paper has great sustainability credentials. Each roll contains a generous 400 soft sheets, providing a long-lasting supply. Each roll is wrapped in a snazzy recyclable paper that you could even reuse it as gift wrap!
But that’s not all – Who Gives A Crap also makes a positive impact by donating half of its profits to charities like Water Aid, which helps build toilets around the world.
The NRDC’s Issue with Tissue report actually reports that recycled toilet paper is more sustainable that toilet paper, so if you’re looking for the greenest product Who Gives a Crap is a must-buy!
However, what keeps it from taking the top spot is that the sheets can feel thin and not as smooth, so using it isn’t quite as nice as Naked Sprout. Regardless, WGAC is one of the best eco-friendly toilet roll options!
Serious Tissues Toilet Paper
Serious Tissues is a UK-based company that produces sustainable toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper.
As is customary with our most eco-friendly loo roll brands, all of their packaging is plastic-free and 100% recyclable.
Emitting a mere 388g CO2e per roll, this toilet paper means you can wipe knowing you’re leaving an impressively tiny carbon footprint behind.
And if that wasn’t enough, Serious Tissues are planting a tree for every roll sold, ensuring that this product doesn’t just balance its carbon emissions, but actively contributes to reforestation efforts.
What makes eco-friendly toilet paper better for the environment?
Not made with harsh chemicals
Regular toilet rolls are chemically treated and bleached to make them softer, whiter, and more absorbent. The bleaching process removes lignin, a natural substance found in wood pulp, which can cause the paper to yellow over time.
The chemicals used in the process include chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or hydrogen peroxide, all of which are harmful to wildlife when they enter the water supply. It is possible to make toilet roll without using harsh additives, and many manufacturers have switched to using more eco-friendly alternatives, such as oxygen-based bleaches.
Additionally, many tissue brands use recycled paper, which reduces the need for chemical treatments and bleaching altogether.
They don’t contribute to deforestation
Traditional toilet paper is made from wood pulp, which is a soft and wet fibrous material that’s obtained from trees. In this process, wood is broken down mechanically or chemically into small fibers, which are then used to create various paper products, including toilet paper.
However, to get wood pulp you need to cut down trees, which contributes to deforestation and habitat loss. Additionally, the production process can be resource-intensive and polluting. Many paper companies even cut down virgin forests to create their paper which is completely unsustainable.
Eco-friendly toilet paper on the other hand, is usually made with bamboo or recycled paper to reduce their environmental footprint.
Bamboo is super fast growing, it’s easy to grow even in low quality soil and is able to regrown much more sustainably to provide the material for paper. Recycled toilet paper also means that recycled paper waste is reused to avoid cutting down forests for the wood pulp.
Come in environmentally-friendly packaging
Ethical loo roll brands that you see in our ‘best-of’ list will all use packaging that is recyclable or compostable. Many everyday brands will use plastic packaging and other nasty materials.
Eco-friendly toilet paper brands typically sell their rolls in bulk too, which is cost-effective, and helps to reduce the amount of waste that is generated from the packaging.
WGAC is also a B Corp, you should acknowledge that to make the comparison fair.
Thanks for your comment, its got me researching as Naked Sprout claims to be only tissue paper B Corp org, interesting learning about this as i didn’t know much.