Rolls of bamboo toilet paper. Serhii Ivashchuk / iStock / Getty Images Plus
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Bamboo toilet paper has been touted as a more sustainable alternative to conventional toilet paper, which is linked to deforestation. But according to a new report, some brands of bamboo toilet paper available in the UK are actually made with woods like eucalyptus and acacia and contain very little bamboo.
A report by Which?, a nonprofit organization based in the UK, revealed three out of five tested bamboo toilet papers contained wood fibers, despite being made from “100% bamboo” or “bamboo only.”
Bamboo is not a wood; it is technically a dense and hardy grass. According to composition testing of the toilet papers, two brands, Naked Sprout and Bumboo, contained 4% and 2.7% unidentified grass fibers, respectively. The brand Bazoo contained 26.10% bamboo.
“Given so many shoppers are taking steps to be more sustainable, it’s vital they can trust claims made by brands — particularly when they are paying more for a product they believe is better for the environment,” said Emily Seymour, sustainability editor for Which?, as reported by The Guardian. “Businesses must take responsibility for ensuring their products contain what they say on the packaging, so that shoppers who want to make sustainable choices can trust the information they are given.”
The researchers specifically identified acacia wood fibers in two brands, Bazoo and Bumboo, which raised concerns over deforestation, particularly in Indonesia. A separate study by Nusantara Atlas found that deforestation related to wood pulp demand reached a record high in some parts of Indonesia in 2023, and the amount of primary forests converted into plantations for pulpwood increased 15% compared to 2022.
Further, Which? found virgin hardwood fibers present in Naked Sprout, Bumboo and Bazoo brands’ toilet papers, yet all three brands feature Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications or labeling.
FSC told Which? that it will be conducting an investigation following the report.
Which? used TAPPI T 401 in an independent lab to conduct the composition testing, to which some of the brands highlighted in the report praised, while others criticized the results.
Bumboo told Which? that it found an issue in its supply chain and remedied the problem as well as contacted customers. It also called TAPPI T 401 the “gold standard” in fiber testing and announced plans to incorporate this type of testing to ensure 100% bamboo toilet paper moving forward.
Bazoo noted it is audited every six months by FSC and is currently investigating with FSC and its manufacturer following the report.
According to Which?, Naked Sprout said its materials are fully traceable and FSC-certified and that the TAPPI T 401 testing has limitations. As Which? reported, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry responded that it “seems disingenuous” that the testing would work properly for four brands but not for one.
Not all of the brands were found to contain wood fibers, though. Who Gives a Crap and The Cheeky Panda, both of which claim to contain 100% bamboo in their toilet paper, did meet their claims, according to the tests.
Bamboo toilet paper is considered more sustainable because of bamboo’s fast regrowth rate, but Which? pointed out that while some environmental organizations have noted that bamboo toilet paper has a lower impact than toilet paper made from virgin wood fibers, recycled toilet paper may be an even better option.
“We should be working towards reducing our paper consumption in Europe as much as possible and using recycled paper where we can, which definitely includes toilet roll,” Johannes Zahnen, senior officer of forest policy at WWF Germany, told Which?.
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