Australia’s most popular swamp rolls are expensive, but those with the worst ratings are also expensive, a consumer group says.
The review by consumer advocacy group Choice tries to settle these debates by ranking the best and worst toilet paper in the country. Choice tested more than 30 rolls, from supermarket products to eco-friendly alternatives, checking their structural integrity, softness and break-down time, and then gave them a score of 100.
To determine the softness, five researchers even wiped their hands and faces with toilet paper. “You can really feel the rough surface on your face,” says Matt Steen, director of reviews and testing for Choice.
First place went to Quilton, with its gold 4-ply toilet paper and king size toilet paper (25% larger) scoring 85%.
At the bottom of the list is Oobamboo 3-ply bamboo unbleached toilet paper, which scored 0% in the disintegration test and scored 43% overall. At $0.56 per 100 sheets, it was also one of the most expensive products tested.
The brand hit back at Choice, saying consumer advocates were “environmentally irresponsible” in their ratings.
Choice says disintegration scores are assigned by placing tissue fragments in a whirlpool of water and determining how long it takes for them to disintegrate. In this test, Ubambu tissues collapsed in 20 minutes.
“If you want an uninterrupted sewer system, we recommend you avoid this toilet paper,” Steen said.
In a statement to Guardian Australia, a spokesperson for Oobamboo Bamboo said Choice “seems to be saying that ‘best’ is the softest, the thickest, the whitest and the strongest.”
“This seems to send the message that temporary comfort now is more important to our children than future peace.”
He noted that “most products are packaged in plastic,” but Oobamboo’s products are packaged in paper.
“At Oobamboo, we are a small family-run Australian business committed to helping reduce the carbon, plastic and chemical footprint of our planet,” a spokesperson said.
”We’re just disappointed that short-term comfort seems to be once again being touted as a higher priority than long-term sustainability.”
Responding to Oobamboo’s comments, Steen said: “Given that other brands on the market with similar claims performed much better in our technical tests, we stand by our results.”
At 61 cents and 63 cents per 100 sheets, the top two products are the most expensive but score high for softness (90%) and disintegration (86%).
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“However, price is not always an indicator of effectiveness,” Steen said. “We can also recommend other products that save money and work well.”
Aldi Confidence Extra Soft 3-ply toilet paper tops the list of best budget toilet papers. The product scored 82%, receiving high marks for softness (90%) and disintegration (84%). At $0.22 per 100 sheets, it’s also one of the cheapest rolls available.
Choice uses store ethics guidelines to enable consumers to understand how the Swamp Roll brand conducts its business. Clint Healy, co-founder of Shop Ethical, said it’s important to understand that their rating system evaluates companies, not specific products.
Shop Ethical uses information from third-party sources to examine exploitative practices, such as whether companies promote deforestation or animal testing.
None of the brands reviewed by Choice received an A rating from Shop Ethical. Even commercial company Who Gives A Crap received some praise and mild criticism for its production in China, ultimately receiving a B grade.
Consumers looking for organic products should check for Forest Stewardship Council certification and buy products in paper packaging, which nine of them did, Steen said.
“Everything else has plastic packaging,” Steen said. Australia cannot recycle soft plastics after suspending REDcycle program.
“[Supermarkets] are still trying to figure out how to reopen… programs,” Steen said.
If you want to avoid soft plastic packaging, your best option is Who Gives A Crap recycled rolls, which score 77% and sell for $0.40 per 100 sheets. When it comes to soft and recycled paper, Steen says Coles So Soft & Strong 3-Ply 100% Recycled Toilet Paper (78%, $0.28 each) is your best bet.
Post time: May-31-2024