When Bamboo isn't Bamboo (but don't worry, ours is!)

In November 2023, Which? Magazine tested five different bamboo toilet paper brands to see what was really in them – Uh oh, should we be sweating? No, of course not!

Our cheeky toilet paper, like others, was put through a rigorous testing process to see if we were telling any porkie pies about what’s really in our toilet roll, but naturally, our paper came back as being made from 100% bamboo and absolutely nothing else. *mic drop*

The content of other ‘bamboo’ toilet papers, however, is worrying, to say the least.

Below are the statistics published by Which? in their April 2024 issue showing the five brands, their claims and tissue content:

Source: Which?, The Grocer 

These numbers are concerning as consumers are being misled. This is what is known as greenwashing – a type of marketing that makes a product seem more sustainable or eco-friendly than it is. So, you think you are buying bamboo, but that’s not actually true…

First up we have Bazoo. Bazoo claim that their toilet paper is made from “100% bamboo” and is 100% Tree Free. Worryingly, their toilet paper was found to only contain 26.1% bamboo with the rest being made of hardwoods.

Naked Sprout also claim their toilet rolls are made from nothing but bamboo, yet shockingly their sheets contain just 4%, with 68.6% being made up of hardwoods.

Finally, we have Bumboo. Their bamboo toilet roll contains just 2.7% bamboo, with a staggering 88% of the product being made from trees - the material we came together collectively to save!

It is also important to note that the tests couldn’t fully identify any bamboo being present in Naked Sprout, or Bumboo toilet rolls, this material is described as unidentified grass fibre – does this mean that potentially, they contain no bamboo at all?

We believe that this is a big concern for customers who are trying to pick a sustainable option and tackle deforestation, but instead are being misled into buying toilet paper which still comes from tree sources, such as eucalyptus, acacia and birch!

Recently, another concerning article came out regarding the presence of PFAS (forever chemicals) being present in toilet rolls. Some of these companies claim their products are PFAS free because they use bamboo, but some seem to contain no bamboo at all? Here at The Cheeky Panda, our 100% bamboo toilet paper is PFAS free, and we have the test results to prove it. Learn more about this is in our previous blog post here.

The article also compares bamboo to recycled pulp toilet paper. Here at The Cheeky Panda, we strongly believe in the sustainability of our bamboo toilet paper compared to recycled pulp. Recycled pulps require more chemicals than bamboo to remove dyes and inks from wastepaper, which can be harmful to the consumer and marine life once flushed.

We source our bamboo from FSC 100% certified, responsibly managed forests in China where bamboo naturally grows, and harvest in a sustainable way that ensures roots are left for the bamboo shoots to grow again, again and again! To monitor this, we also have a team of 5 cheeky pandas based in China to ensure quality control and the integrity of the bamboo production.

Our work is not done yet, it seems we have even MORE trees to save! Stay cheeky, and trust that Colin only delivers the highest quality, 100% bamboo products – and that’s a promise!

To try out the REAL DEAL for yourself, use code REALBAMBOO for 20% off your first cheeky order*

*Terms & conditions apply. This offer is valid from 26.03.2024 until 01.04.2024 at 23.59PM GMT on cheekypanda.com only. Code REALBAMBOO needs to be entered at checkout to apply. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.  The Cheeky Panda reserves the right to edit or withdraw the promotion at anytime.