Bamboo Credentials

It’s the final week of bamboo month and we’ve covered a lot so far: 100 benefits (are there any you still remember?), clear cut vs living forests and why our bamboo toilet paper has lower carbon emissions than recycled (with the research to back it up). So, to round off this month we wanted to talk specifically about OUR bamboo’s credentials. We’ve given you why bamboo is a great plant, but why is Cheeky Panda bamboo particularly special?  

It all starts in China, as we only use two specific native species of bamboo: Neosinocalamus Affinis and Moso bamboo. Both species are not eaten by any cheeky pandas and naturally grow in the region. When the bamboo is harvested by our farmers, it is given a gentle haircut just above the roots, leaving the plant alive in the ground and ready and raring to regrow. Being a naturally regenerative bamboo forest that needs no chemicals, fertilisers or pesticides, makes it a biodiversity haven! All our mighty bamboo needs to grow is a fresh glug of rainwater and it’s off!  

As the first to bring Bamboo Household essentials to the market, we have an expert understanding of our supply chain. We have a dedicated team in China that help us monitor all activities which go into making our bamboo products, from working with farmers, pulping factories and the manufactures. Regular tests on the bamboo are also conducted to ensure 100% bamboo content, such as quality controls after chipping. This close eye we keep on our supply chain means we actually can find a needle in a hay/bamboo stack! Just take a look at our supply chain video below:  

Alongside our China team ensuring the highest quality, we have also chosen to source bamboo from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests. It has 4 key principles: zero deforestation, fair wages and work environments, supporting the transition from preservation to conservation and local community rights. By FSC auditing us annually as well as working alongside our own China Team, this ensures that both you the consumer and us, can rest at ease knowing that our products are only coming from the finest bamboo! *chef’s kiss* 

All this hard work and commitment to having the best and highest quality bamboo was shown in March when Which? conducted a test of 5 brands of bamboo toilet paper. We were alongside only one other, the only brands to contain 100% bamboo fibres in our toilet roll, from a TAPPI fibre test. Now this is shocking from some of the other brands, and you can click here to find out more about this. But more importantly, we were very proud to see our commitment to bamboo supply chain transparency and integrity evidenced on the big stage. Cheeky Pandas for the win! 

Bamboo really is in our roots, get it 😉, and we hope you can see how passionate we are about it. We love bamboo as a plant, it’s pure magic, but we also TRUST ours because of how much work we put into it, and we hope you do too!