Which? testing finds some bamboo toilet paper actually made with wood

To find out whether bamboo toilet rolls are really made of what they claim, we tested samples from five leading bamboo toilet paper brands. All of the rolls we tested claimed to be made only of bamboo, but we found that three of the samples contained very small amounts of bamboo or grass fibre.

These three samples came from Naked Sprout, Bazoo and Bumboo. Instead of bamboo fibres, they were mainly composed of fast-growing virgin hardwoods – mostly eucalyptus, with some acacia in Bazoo and Bumboo. Acacia has been associated with damaging deforestation in places such as Indonesia.

Over recent years, there has been a growth in smaller brands offering toilet paper made of materials other than wood pulp. Bamboo is often touted as an eco-friendly alternative – indeed, it grows incredibly fast and can be ready for harvest in four years. 

When grown sustainably – look for certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – it can be grown with little intervention from pesticides and it doesn't require much water. The majority of bamboo grown comes from China.

But our tests found that some toilet roll brands' bamboo claims didn't stack up on the samples we tested.

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Toilet paper testing

In November 2023, we carried out fibre-composition testing to check the bamboo content of toilet roll claimed to be made only of bamboo. The testing was done at an independent lab using an industry standard test known as TAPPI T 401 that breaks down a sample of paper into its constituent fibres to quantify and identify them. 

We tested samples from five brands, which we believe to be the main players in the bamboo toilet roll market.

Samples from The Cheeky Panda and Who Gives a Crap (WGAC) contained only bamboo as they claimed. 

The samples we tested from Bazoo, Bumboo and Naked Sprout did not. In fact, they contained low or very low levels of bamboo-like grass fibres.They were, in fact, mainly composed of virgin hardwoods – mostly eucalyptus. The presence of acacia wood in two of the samples is particularly concerning, as this can be associated with damaging deforestation in places such as Indonesia.

Bazoo says it is ‘100% tree free’ and Bumboo cites its ‘FSC-certified 100% bamboo from well-managed forests’. Naked Sprout talks about selling the ‘UK’s most sustainable tissue products’. This claim is largely based on its manufacturing, which is fossil-fuel free and a certified B Corp (it meets social/ environmental standards). It does not advertise its product as 100% bamboo. 

It’s clear from their websites that all three brands take sustainability seriously. So what’s going on? The results of our test led us to question whether there are potential issues with the brands’ supply chains. 

While these brands may not have gone out to deliberately mislead consumers, it’s not good enough. Shoppers choosing these products are often doing so specifically because they are trying to be more sustainable. Yet, if the pulp being used isn't what it's supposed to be, the final product could be less sustainable than it appears.

We asked the brands for their response.

What the brands said

Bumboo

Bumboo told us that it had 'identified an issue in [its] supply chain and taken swift action so this can never happen again. Any affected customers have been contacted and [the company is] increasing [its] fibre testing, so every batch is independently verified. This will provide complete transparency that all future products are 100% bamboo.' 

It also said: ‘Recycled paper and alternative fibres such as bamboo are still a better solution for the planet than using virgin trees. 

'Having spoken at length to experts at a UK laboratory known for its fibre testing expertise, it is clear that TAPPI T401 is the gold standard in fibre testing. Bumboo has now implemented this test to be carried out on every batch of products. Test results for every batch are published on our website.'

Bazoo

Bazoo told us it undergoes extensive auditing with FSC. Its bamboo manufacturer is 100% FSC-certified and this is checked and audited every six months, and it is investigating this currently with the FSC body and its manufacturer in depth. 

Naked Sprout 

Naked Sprout told us that the bamboo pulp it uses is verified by a strict audit trail (also used by the FSC) of its deliberately small supply chain and raw materials used. It says all materials are FSC certified and fully traceable from raw material to end product. It says there are limitations with TAPPI T 401 and disputes the objectivity and validity of the test method.

TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry) said that it saw no contradictions in Which?’s application of the test method and that it “seems disingenuous” to suggest that a test method applied successfully to other brands tested would be inadequate for Naked Sprout.

FSC

The FSC said: 'We are concerned to discover that Which?’s fibre-testing of some FSC-labelled toilet rolls, claimed to contain only bamboo fibre, indicates that they are made using wood-fibre in addition to bamboo. Since being approached by Which?, we have contacted the brands in question to gather further information and alerted FSC’s Supply Chain Integrity Team to this case.

'FSC is the world’s most trusted sustainable forest management solution and from forest to store, we are committed to supporting credible supply chains. We take our integrity seriously and are committed to working with the organizations involved to ensure this is fully investigated and any appropriate action taken to ensure FSC labels accurately reflect the composition of FSC-certified products.'

Choosing sustainable toilet roll

When we spoke to experts from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), they agreed that while bamboo (if sustainably grown) can be a better material option for toilet roll than using paper from virgin trees, recycled paper is usually an even better choice. 

However, it's important to note that the overall carbon impact of a particular product will depend on a lot of factors, such as whether the manufacturing process uses renewable energy and how the product is transported.

Find out more about identifying eco-friendly options: head to our guide to how to buy more sustainable toilet paper.