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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Saskia Kemsley

Best eco-friendly toilet paper to buy in the UK: Bamboo and recycled options

Making your home into an eco-friendly haven is no simple task, and certainly not one that each and every citizen should feel obliged to undergo entirely.

We feel it necessary to remind the environmentally conscious, and anxious, that doing your bit to help the environment is wonderful. However, the onus is not on you to single-handedly change the planet through an overwhelming lifestyle change. It’s all about relinquishing support for big corporations, making more thoughtful choices about what products you’re buying for your home, as well as ensuring you’re properly disposing of household waste.

One way to do this is by purchasing some eco-friendly loo roll. “But loo roll is just paper!” we hear some of you cry. Often, big supermarket brands are guilty of using paper from virgin trees which contributes to deforestation across the globe. Additionally, the process often involves bleaching agents which can be toxic to the environment.

What is eco-friendly toilet paper made from?

  • Recycled paper: To reduce the unnecessary use of paper from virgin trees, many eco-friendly toilet paper brands make use of 100 per cent recycled paper in order to take a more circular approach to the household essential. To make the recycled loo roll, recycled paper is processed into a pulp with the help of warm water. The pulp is then rolled and flattened, with some brands opting to bleach it white using non-toxic chemicals. Et voila! Recycled TP.
  • Bamboo: a fast-growing species of plant generally associated with pandas, bamboo is a wonderfully sustainable material which is being used to produce eco-friendly loo roll by brands across the UK. The reason it’s so good for the environment is because of its ability to grow so quickly without any fertiliser, and self-regenerate from its own roots. It’s made like any classic loo roll, recycled or not. The bamboo is broken down into fibres and mixed into a pulp before being rolled-out onto supermarket shelves.

Why should I buy eco-friendly toilet paper?

Though currently on the pricier side than your bog-standard supermarket loo roll, you can feel confident in the fact that you’re helping in the overall effort to reduce unnecessary waste and prevent de-forestation.

Can I use eco-friendly toilet paper with a septic tank?

Yes! In fact, eco-friendly and biodegradable toilet papers are often better for homes with septic tanks. This is because they break down faster and with less water, which therefore reduces any build-up in your system.

Best eco-friendly toilet paper to buy in the UK at a glance:

Shop now.

Who Gives A Crap 100 per cent recycled toilet paper

Best for: the fanciest of eco loo rolls which goes the distance

These oh-so-chic and individually wrapped loo rolls from Who Gives A Crap don’t just look the part. The brand is dedicated to helping the world become a better place in more ways than just providing us with some luxuriously soft, three-ply and 100 per cent recycled bog roll.

A certified B Corp, Who Gives A Crap has carbon neutral shipping and donates a whopping 50 per cent of profits to charity partners which focus on water, hyenine and sanitation across the globe.

This loo roll is biodegradable which means smooth sailing for septic tanks, and it also has a cheaper cost per sheet than most leading brands. This is especially fantastic, given that the rolls are already double length. That’s right, there’s an incredible 400 sheet per roll. Now that’s a bargain.

Buy now £44.00, Who Gives A Crap

Who Gives A Crap 100 per cent bamboo toilet paper

Best for: bang for your buck

Who Gives A Crap also has a dedicated, extra-luxurious bamboo toilet paper range. Even softer than the recycled range, these rolls are also double-length – containing 370 sheets each. They’re made from 100 per cent renewable and sustainable bamboo, and are also biodegradable.

Buy now £48.00, Who Gives A Crap

Cheeky Panda Bamboo Unwrapped Toilet Rolls 48

Best for: luxurious softness

Arguably the softest bamboo loo roll that we’ve ever come across, we’re big fans of the fact that these rolls come unwrapped. They’re made from 100 per cent sustainable bamboo that is FSC certified, meaning they’re plastic and tree-free. Bamboo is naturally hypoallergenic and – despite the white appearance – this bog roll is PFA free. A certified B Corp that is part of the World Land Trust, all of Cheeky Panda’s products are entirely vegan and cruelty-free.

Additionally, according to Cheeky Panda, by choosing bamboo products you use 65 per cent less carbon emissions than if you were using tree-based products. That’s something to feel good about.

Buy now £39.99, Amazon

Naked Sprout Unbleached Toilet Roll

Best for: unbleached eco-friendly loo roll

What immediately sets Naked Sprout loo roll apart from the other brand options we’ve listed thus far is its unbleached appearance. Available in either recycled or bamboo paper, Naked Sprout boasts both carbon neutral and fossil fuel-free manufacturing and delivery. FSC-certified and void of any bleach, scents, plastic or harsh chemicals, each double-length roll is two-ply and contains 320 sheets.

Naked Sprout also produce their product in a certified B Corp Factory – an important fact which is often overlooked by other brands. This means that Naked Sprout can ensure the lowest carbon footprint for a UK-based eco loo roll brand – especially given its all produced in Europe. Winner.

Buy now £5.40, Ocado

Bazoo

Best for: chlorine-free

This box of Bazoo comes equipped with 24 rolls of environmentally friendly, 100 per cent bamboo three-ply toilet paper. Each roll contains 300 sheets of paper which is guaranteed to be kind to your skin, given the incredibly hypoallergenic quality of bamboo. According to Bazoo, the average person flushes one tree a year down the loo. Do your part with these chlorine-free bog rolls, which will arrive at our door in 100 per cent recycled packaging.

Buy now £37.00, Amazon

Bumboo

Best for: a tree planted with every purchase

Another unbleached option for those concerned about unnecessary chemicals, Bumboo plants a tree for each box purchased. Since they’re not cutting down trees in the first place like most high street brands, this pledge has a much more noticeable effect. What’s more, this loo roll is totally free from the de-inking agents, formaldehyde and BPA often associated with the paper recycling process. No nasties whatsoever.

Buy now £39.90, Bumboo

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