Switching to bamboo might still mean cutting down trees.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using bamboo products as a more sustainable alternative to traditional products made from trees. This trend has extended to toilet paper, with many consumers opting for bamboo toilet paper instead of traditional tree-based options.

And bamboo is definitely better than virgin pulp toilet paper.

However, there are serious concerns about the environmental impact of bamboo products, particularly linking it to deforestation. 

While bamboo is a fast-growing and renewable resource, the reality is that it is often grown in monoculture plantations, which can cause significant damage to local ecosystems. In some cases, the planting of bamboo forests has led to the destruction of natural habitats, driving wildlife and local communities away.

Moreover, many countries lack proper regulations and oversight to ensure that bamboo is grown and harvested sustainably. As a result, some bamboo suppliers have been caught illegally clearing land and destroying forests to make room for bamboo plantations. This is a significant problem, as deforestation is one of the biggest contributors to global carbon emissions and the loss of biodiversity.

If you are buying bamboo toilet roll, always get one that adheres to the FSC accreditation system.

We worry about deforestation. It's one of the reasons we started Serious, and  chose to be 100% recycled, so we wouldn't cut down any more trees for toilet paper (currently we're cutting down 27,000 a day). We then plant a tree for every roll we sell on our website. So a box of 36 rolls is 36 trees in the ground.

Although we might be biased towards recycled, it's worth saying, not all recycled paper paper is made equal.

It's important to use brands that are 100% recycled from post-consumer waste. Serious Tissues are, and also source and manufacture in the UK.

The other thing to look out for is that your recycled paper doesn't use chlorine bleach, we don't.

Seriously Sustainable Toilet Roll

shop toilet roll
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5.900KG+

ocean plastic
removed

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1,000,000+

trees
planted

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17 years+

employment
created