Why conventional toilet paper is a problem
The US alone uses approximately 141 rolls of toilet paper per person per year — the highest per capita use in the world. The vast majority comes from virgin trees (including old-growth forests in Canada), is individually wrapped in plastic, and arrives in plastic outer packaging. It is one of the few everyday products that is entirely single-use by design.
Bamboo toilet paper
Made from bamboo pulp rather than wood pulp. Bamboo is a grass — it grows 30x faster than typical hardwood trees, requires no pesticides or irrigation in most climates, and regenerates from its root system after harvesting without replanting. Most bamboo toilet paper is bleached with hydrogen peroxide (much less harmful than chlorine bleaching) or left unbleached.
Top brands: Who Gives A Crap (bamboo), Cloud Paper, Caboo, Reel.
Softness: Excellent. Modern bamboo TP has improved dramatically. Who Gives A Crap Bamboo and Cloud Paper are frequently rated as soft as leading conventional brands.
Cost: $0.90-$1.60 per 100 sheets. Slightly more expensive than conventional TP.
Eco credentials: Strong. Paper-wrapped rolls, no plastic packaging, fast-growing renewable resource. The main caveat: most bamboo is grown in China and shipped long distances, adding transport emissions.
Recycled toilet paper
Made from post-consumer recycled paper — office paper, cardboard, and newspaper processed back into pulp. No new trees are cut.
Top brands: Seventh Generation, Green Forest, Bim Bam Boo (recycled range), If You Care.
Softness: Good, but generally slightly less soft than bamboo. Premium recycled brands (Green Forest Premium) are notably softer than standard.
Cost: Usually the most affordable eco option — $0.80-$1.20 per 100 sheets in standard retail, less in bulk.
Eco credentials: Arguably the most sustainable option from a lifecycle perspective. No new resource extraction, no deforestation, often manufactured closer to end market. The limitation: recycled paper fibres weaken with each cycle and can only be recycled 5-7 times.
Subscription services
Services like Who Gives A Crap, Reel, and Bim Bam Boo deliver regular shipments of bamboo or recycled TP directly to your door, plastic-free, on a customisable schedule.
Advantages: Never running out, lower per-roll cost than retail (typically 10-20% cheaper at subscription volume), plastic-free shipping as standard, and many donate a percentage of profit.
Disadvantages: Requires forward planning and storage space for bulk deliveries.
Which to choose
- Best eco credentials: Recycled toilet paper, particularly if manufactured locally
- Best softness: Bamboo. Who Gives A Crap Bamboo is the most widely praised
- Best value: Subscription services for recycled TP
- Best for beginners: Who Gives A Crap starter box — a low-risk way to test before committing to subscription
What about bidets?
A bidet attachment ($30-80) reduces toilet paper use by 70-80% while cleaning more effectively. Used alongside a small amount of eco TP for drying, it minimises both waste and cost.
