Bamboo toilet paper is considered more environmentally friendly than traditional paper made from virgin wood pulp. But new tests show some products contain as little as 3% bamboo.
According to British consumer group Which?, eco-friendly toilet paper brands sell bamboo toilet paper that contains only 3% bamboo.
Unlike the trees traditionally used to make toilet paper, bamboo is a grass that grows quickly even in poor soil, meaning its harvesting causes less long-term damage to the environment. As a result, bamboo paper has earned a reputation as an environmentally friendly alternative to regular toilet paper. But fiber composition tests show that some toilet papers made from bamboo are primarily made from virgin wood pulp.
Which? The grass fiber content of toilet rolls from five popular UK brands, which claim their products are made exclusively from bamboo or “100% bamboo”, was assessed.
The Bumboo sample contained only 2.7% grass fiber, the Naked Sprout paper sample contained 4% grass fiber, and the Bazoo sample contained 26.1%. Toilet paper is mostly made from virgin hardwoods such as eucalyptus and acacia, rather than bamboo. established Acacia wood in particular has been linked to deforestation in Southeast Asia.
What are the only two brands? Both Who Gives Crap and The Cheeky Panda have been tested to be 100% grass-fed.
Where is Emily Seymour? She told New Scientist that the findings showed “uncertainty” about the pulp supply chain, but stressed that tissue companies have a responsibility to ensure their products live up to sustainability claims. “Companies that make green claims have a responsibility to ensure that the products they sell are what they claim,” she said.
Life cycle analysis shows that bamboo pulp has a lower environmental impact than virgin wood pulp, although recycled wood pulp is better than both. But if bamboo is not harvested sustainably, it will lead to the deforestation of primary forests. Bumboo, Naked Sprout and Bazoo say they use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified bamboo, meaning it comes from responsibly managed forests.
Responding to the findings, Bumboo said testing had identified a “fiber optic error” in its supply chain affecting a small amount of stock. The company said paper rolls are now tested at every production run and the latest test results are published on its website.
Bazoo said a shipment of its paper was “contaminated” with wood in November 2023, but stressed that the company was “committed to meeting its commitment to produce 100% bamboo rolls.” The company said it is introducing stricter quality control measures and testing its products more frequently.
Naked Sprout said it was “very disappointed” Which? Discover. The company highlighted that its entire supply chain is FSC certified and said its supply chain data is now publicly available as part of a new policy of “radical transparency”.
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Post time: Jun-03-2024