The table below lists the type of material used, and which brands currently sell it. What is it made of? The baby has never had a disposable wipe, so why should we? It feels decadent now to be using paper when our one-year old doesn't, and his dirty wipes just get washed. And we eat the same things!" Enter Who Gives A Crap, which creates two sustainable alternatives to regular toilet roll: 100% recyclable toilet paper and 100% bamboo toilet paper.

It’s a good thing we have the room, because 96 rolls of toilet paper takes up a bunch of space. Recycled vs bamboo: which is better for the environment?

Disclaimer

From the beginning, they have been more focused on improving the lives of people without basic sanitation and to do this without any investors, they had to base their manufacturing in China.

Some people say it’s absolutely fine once you get past the light brown colour, while other people don’t like it.Who Gives A Crap is an Australian company founded by Simon, Jehan and Danny, and headquartered in Victoria, South-East Australia. Passionate about toilet paper, and helping improve toilet access across the globe, they launched their start-up after a crowdfunding campaign in 2012. I also love the vibrance of the Happy TP wrappers. WGAC said they wanted to boost customers’ moods and it’s hard not to be cheered up by cute dogs. Most paper is now bleached with chlorine dioxide in a process known as Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF). This still emits chlorine but in much smaller amounts than when elemental chlorine is used. They arrive in a recycled cardboard box (with a strip of plastic tape) and are individually wrapped in bamboo paper.

With choices of virgin or recycled wood pulp, different FSC logos, and bamboo or traditional tree fibre, working out which brands sell what can be confusing.

Are Who Gives a Crap eco-friendly?

Through their advertising, the big toilet paper companies have the power to influence our desires and expectations. If the demand for recycled paper isn’t there, it’s the toilet paper companies who are at least in part to blame. Certified toilet paper on the rise, but is it really sustainable? During manufacturing, the pulp is bleached to remove lignin - a glue that holds the tree fibres together and makes them sturdy. Both toilet roll types produced by WGAC are whitened, but as mentioned, this is done without bleach. However, you still have to use some kind of chemicals, which require manufacturing and factoring into the production process. Not whitening toilet roll altogether is a more sustainable option. Who Gives a crap give 50% of their profits to help build toilets in developing countries, they are made from 100% recycled paper and they are biodegradable. These toilet rolls are individually wrapped in colourful recyclable paper, not plastic. You can even reuse the paper wrap.

So, basically that means trees are being cut down just for the purpose of wiping our bums. They call this the tree-to-toilet pipeline. According to the Environmental Paper Network, recycled paper has just one-third of the carbon emissions of paper made from virgin wood.Whether you dislike the individually wrapped toilet rolls or not, you can’t deny that Who Gives A Crap’s marketing has boosted the popularity and consumer knowledge of sustainable toilet roll. In many countries, toilet paper isn’t commonly used and, as suggested by the quote below, many consider it uncivilised, preferring to wash with water. But just for simplicity’s sake, recycled toilet paperis currently best for the environment overall as it repurposeswaste rather than making a whole brand-new product. Remember the R’s of sustainability!