Bamboo toilet paper is a fairly recent phenomenon - but could it be the key to making a better world? This organisation certainly thinks so.
Bamboo Bobbi started with a mission: to stop the destruction of millions of trees and make the world a better place. They decided that they didn’t just want to stop at helping the planet, but wanted to help its people too; that’s why they recently took the step to become a not-for-profit.
A passion project for The Intelligent Group, a Sheffield-based business, Bamboo Bobbi gives away 100% of their profits, each person who works there is a volunteer, and for every roll bought, they give away another.
Smiley News caught up with Andy Cameron, the founder of Bamboo Bobbi, to see what amazing things they are doing.
We need to stop cutting down trees for disposable products and leave mature trees to capture carbon. We will always need wood but much better to use it in construction where the carbon storage remains intact. If we can use fast growing alternative fibres like bamboo, less chemicals are needed to speed up growth, less water is needed and less land. More can be achieved with Bamboo because it is essentially a grass that regrows very quickly in the same spot. Bamboo alone is not enough so we need to use a mix of recycled products and sustainable, alternative fibres.
I don’t think ethics and profit go 100% hand in hand. It’s not to say there aren’t ethical companies but I see so many brands set up with great intentions and messaging about helping the planet, that ultimately change and the focus becomes about investor returns and gearing towards a sale that will make the owners a ton of money. Profit soon starts to trump doing the right thing and any environmental concerns. The environment is more important than profit and most lower income earners simply can’t afford ethical products, so to have true impact we needed to give away ethical products for FREE via foodbanks and have double the positive environmental impact of every purchase. We couldn’t do this if we wanted to make money and pay staff, so we are all volunteers doing it purely for people and planet.
Foodbanks have to buy toilet paper from supermarkets at full retail price. Not a lot of people know this but hardly any food is donated, money is scarce and it comes from charitable investment funds and fundraising so if we give the ethical toilet paper free, it means that the foodbanks have more funds for other essentials. Until we stepped in, the foodbanks wouldn’t prioritise a low environmental impact paper they would be focus purely on price.
All the volunteers come from the main business I founded, Intelligent Facility Solutions, we all give a portion of our time to make Bamboo Bobbi work. The warehousing, marketing, sales is all provided free and through IFS 1% For the Planet contribution. We are also grateful for pro bono support from Flex FD, Evoluted a digital agency and Ultra Accountancy
Every time you buy our carbon measured and balanced, bamboo toilet roll we are giving away a free low-carbon, tree-free roll to UK foodbanks. So essentially a purchase ensures double to environmental benefit.
To help support Bamboo Bobbi in their mission, as well as the foodbanks they work with, you can purchase ethical toilet paper here on their website.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Climate Reframe. Climate Reframe is committed to supporting the climate and environment movement in its transformation towards greater justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI). Find out more.
Grow to Give. This charity connects local farmers and hobby growers to donate surplus fresh produce to food banks. Find out how to support them here.
The Felix Project. They collect fresh, nutritious food that cannot be sold and delivers this surplus food to charities and schools. Support them here.
This article aligns with the UN SDGs No Poverty and Climate Action.
