Have you been seeing bamboo toilet paper being used more frequently? If you have been thinking about going down the path of environmental consciousness and sustainable living, one of the most impactful things you can do is to make small changes in your daily life.
You can even simply start by changing the type of toilet paper that you use!
Bamboo toilet paper is fast becoming a viable alternative to traditional or ‘virgin pulp’ toilet paper.
Here, we give you a detailed breakdown of how bamboo toilet roll is environmentally-friendly, why it is better than traditional toilet paper, and how it makes for a more sustainable life in the long run.
In this article, we explore:
- What bamboo toilet paper is all about
- Whether it is better than traditional toilet paper (hint: it is!)
- How it is great for the environment and sustainable in the long run
- Our favourite bamboo toilet paper brands that you can buy online
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Summary of the best bamboo toilet paper:
What Is Bamboo Toilet Paper?
Essentially, there are three main types of mainstream toilet paper:
- Traditional toilet paper that is made from virgin pulp i.e. trees that are cut down for the sole purpose of making toilet paper;
- Toilet paper that is made from recycled pulp i.e. paper products that have been sent through the recycling process;
- Bamboo toilet paper i.e. those made directly from the bamboo plant.
The bamboo plant is one of the fastest-growing plants around, with certain species being able to grow 36 inches in 24 hours!
Bamboo plants can reach their maximum height in just a few months whereas regular trees may take up to 30 years to reach a stage where they are suitable and primed to be cut down to make other items.
While most of us know that bamboo is the staple food for those cute little panda bears, the fast-growing nature of the bamboo plant makes it perfect for creating sustainable, eco-friendly products.
Don’t worry! There is still enough bamboo for the pandas! This is because the bamboo plant grows quickly and densely and so the pandas’ food supply is not interrupted.
At A Glance – Bamboo Toilet Paper v. Traditional Toilet Paper
| Bamboo Toilet Paper | Traditional Toilet Paper |
| Made using sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing processes, especially when the paper is not bleached | The manufacturing process may release harmful chemicals such as chlorine and bleach into the environment |
| Easy to flush down the toilet and will not clog your pipes | It may be difficult to completely flush down which may result in clogged pipes and drainage systems |
| Highly biodegradable and dissolves easily in soil and water | It may take a longer time to degrade into the environment |
Why Is Bamboo Toilet Paper Better Than Traditional Toilet Paper?
There are many benefits of using bamboo toilet paper over your traditional toilet paper. The primary advantages are sustainability and eco-friendliness.
1. It Is Environmentally Friendly
Traditional toilet paper can come from virgin pulp (made of paper that is processed directly from cut trees), as well as recycled pulp (made from recycled paper).
Both of these types of toilet paper are sourced from trees that need to be felled, processed, and manufactured.
As such, toilet paper made from bamboo is eco-friendly for many reasons. Let us take a look at some of them.
- Bamboo Plants Are Considered To Be A Renewable Resource
This means that it is easy to grow, grows quickly, and thrives in different locations and environments.
As such, it is not a resource that will easily run out. This in turn makes it sustainable when compared to having cut down multiple trees to make traditional or recycled toilet paper.
Additionally, because of the structure of bamboo plants, they can be grown efficiently and densely without taking up much space or land.
What makes it an even more sustainable method of making toilet paper and other eco-friendly products is that the more it is cut, the faster and easier it grows.
This makes it one of the best renewable sources available to us for a variety of different products and purposes.
- Reduced Water Usage
Bamboo plants require very little water to grow as compared to trees that are required to manufacture traditional toilet rolls.
As such, this reduces overall water consumption, which is a great thing for our planet!
- Bamboo Is Biodegradable
Bamboo tissue paper is also highly biodegradable. This means that it does not need to be actively processed with more water and chemicals for it to be recycled.
It naturally disintegrates in water or soil, making it the perfect eco-friendly product.
- Less Chemicals Are Used
The manufacturing process of bamboo toilet rolls also uses fewer chemicals and harmful ingredients than when compared to traditional toilet rolls.
This ultimately means that in the long run, less harmful ingredients will be released into the environment.
2. It Doesn’t Clog Your Pipes
Traditional toilet paper, whether made from virgin pulp or recycled pulp can be rather thick.
Let’s face it, no one really wants to use one-ply toilet paper!
As a result of the thickness, it may become difficult for it to be flushed down the toilet. Even if you do successfully flush it down, it may get stuck in the pipes and you may end up with a clog and a very unpleasant plumber’s bill!
Bamboo toilet tissue, on the other hand, dissolves easily in water and goes through your pipes smoothly and quickly.
3. It is Easily Available
You can buy it from almost anywhere these days.
While it was difficult to get at first, with increased awareness about it and how it benefits the environment, it has become more easily available in mainstream grocery stores.
You can also check out our list below for all the places that you can buy your bamboo toilet paper online.
4. It Is Soft And Strong
There is a common misconception that alternatives to traditional toilet paper are incapable of being soft.
However, bamboo toilet paper is truly as soft as they come. They are gentle on the skin, thus being suitable for small children and babies as well!
Additionally, with bamboo being one of the strongest materials out there, bamboo toilet paper is also incredibly strong and absorbent.
Where Can I Buy Bamboo Toilet Paper?
Bamboo toilet paper is fast becoming a product that is easily available both online and in physical stores.
Plenty of well-known brands are jumping onto the bamboo toilet paper bandwagon and are offering them for sale at reasonable prices.
Here are just some of the brands of bamboo toilet rolls that you can get online:
1. Betterway Organic Bamboo Toilet Paper
Betterway tries to make all their products as eco-friendly as possible. These are the perfect bamboo toilet rolls to buy in bulk as they can be bought as a 12 pack of double rolls with 360 sheets at very reasonable prices.
Some of the notable characteristics of this particular brand are that their bamboo toilet rolls:
- Are 100% biodegradable
- Are made from sustainable bamboo
- Do not come with any plastic packaging
- Are individually packed with wrappers that can be composted and recycled
- FSC Certified
2. Vegan Bamboo Toilet Paper
This brand of bamboo toilet paper comes in beautiful packaging that you can’t help being attracted to! They also have various options for bulky buys. Among other things, they are:
- Hypoallergenic
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- 3-ply
The biggest plus point with this brand of bamboo toilet rolls is that you can reuse their packaging as gift wraps! Now that is eco-friendly indeed!
3. Caboo Tree-Free Bamboo Toilet Paper
These bamboo toilet rolls come in a pack of 24 rolls with 300 sheets per roll. They are also:
- Made from sustainably grown bamboo
- 100% biodegradable
- Strong
- Hypoallergenic
- BPA free
- Fragrance-free
4. Premium Unscented Bamboo Toilet Paper
This is one of the premium brands of bamboo toilet paper and their notable characteristics seem to indicate that they take eco-friendliness and sustainability very seriously.
They also pack a little more punch than other toilet rolls as they come in packs of 24 rolls with a whopping 350 sheets per roll.
As such, they do appear to be more value for money. Additionally, these toilet rolls are:
- Made from 100% sustainable bamboo
- Handmade
- Soft
- Strong
- Comfortable to the touch
- Shipped to customers without any plastic packaging
- Sealed with paper tape as opposed to plastic tape
5. 100% Natural Bamboo Toilet Paper
These are most certainly the perfect bamboo toilet rolls for the minimalist. They also have paper towels available for your kitchen!
These eco-friendly toilet rolls are made with no bleach, chlorine or chemicals to whiten and are available in their natural colour.
They also:
- All natural
- Available as toilet roll or kitchen roll
- 3-ply
- 16 gsm per ply (standard is 10-12 gsm)
6. Cheeky Panda Bamboo Toilet Tissue
This brand has one of the softest bamboo toilet rolls that are available online and they are sold in various bulk options. Cheeky Panda also pledges to plant a tree for every box that is purchased.
Additionally, these luxury bamboo toilet rolls are:
- Sustainably made
- Packed without any plastic
- Extra-long
- Available with a wrapper-free option
Is Bamboo Toilet Paper Rough?
This is probably a common question you may have on your mind if you are thinking of making the eco-friendly transition to bamboo toilet paper.
Contrary to popular belief, bamboo toilet paper is not in the slightest bit rough.
The manufacturing process has developed efficiently over the years to ensure that most bamboo toilet tissue is soft, smooth, and comfortable to the touch.
However, bamboo toilet paper can be just as soft as toilet paper that is made from virgin pulp.
When compared to toilet paper that is made from recycled pulp, bamboo toilet paper is still considered to be much softer.
Why is It So Expensive?
It cannot be denied that as with most eco-friendly products, bamboo toilet rolls can indeed be slightly more expensive than traditional toilet paper.
This is because, as a result of its strength and sturdiness, the bamboo plant takes longer to be processed and manufactured into bamboo toilet paper that is fit to be used.
Over and above this, it must be noted that most bamboo plants that are viable for use in the manufacture of eco-friendly products are grown primarily in China.
As such, the transport costs to different countries all over the world can also be a factor in the pricing of bamboo toilet paper, depending on where you are located.
Bonus Bamboo Facts
- Bamboo plants do not attract any natural pests. As such, they can be grown safely without the need to use pesticides.
- Bamboo plants can grow on their own without having to be replanted. This means that technically, bamboo plants are a type of grass!
- Bamboo is widely considered to be a hypoallergenic material.
What Is The Most Environmentally Friendly Toilet Paper?
The truth must be accepted that any single-use product cannot possibly be good for the environment.
However, if you absolutely do need to use toilet paper, then bamboo toilet paper is the safest, eco-friendly, and most comfortable way to go.
Here are some things that you can look out for when buying your bamboo toilet paper if you want to be as environmentally friendly as possible:
Make Sure You Get Bamboo Toilet Paper That Is Not Bleached
You can tell whether it is bleached or not by the color of the bamboo toilet roll. If it is a light shade of brown, it has retained its original color and has not gone through the bleaching process
Avoid Bamboo Toilet Rolls That Are Inked, Imprinted, Or Scented
This just means that more chemical processes have gone into the manufacturing of the toilet roll
Research The Source
When purchasing your bamboo toilet tissue, try to check out its source, whether it has been sustainably grown, and more importantly, whether it has been transported to your location in an efficient and eco-friendly manner
You can do this by looking out for whether your bamboo toilet roll of choice has an FSC Certification. This is considered to be the gold standard for paper products and it essentially means that they come from forests that are responsibly and sustainably managed.
Other Eco-Friendly Items To Buy
To help you on your journey towards a more eco-friendly and environmentally conscious lifestyle, here are some other sustainable products that you can buy:
- Bamboo Toothbrushes with plant based bristles.
- Beeswax wraps. These reusable wraps from available as a set of 9 are the perfect size and are long-lasting as well.
- Bamboo paper plates, cutlery, and cups for when you’re having a party or a lot of people over.
- Jute bags or cloth bags for your grocery shopping. BeeGreen have these fun animal print reusable shopping tote bags.
- Reusable wipes instead of using paper towels.
So, if you have been wondering whether bamboo toilet paper works the same way as traditional toilet paper, the answer is a resounding yes.
Maybe even better! With all its environmental, sustainable, and eco-friendly benefits, surely one cannot go wrong by choosing to use bamboo toilet paper over traditional toilet paper.
The fact that it is now so easily available goes to show that more people are aware of the huge environmental impact we can have just by making small changes to our lifestyle.
Remember that every effort made towards building a more environmentally conscious society will help to make a difference to our planet, and if using bamboo toilet paper is your first step, then that sounds like a good way to go, be it No. 1 or No. 2.