More and more brands are selling bamboo toilet paper - and promoting it as the sustainable alternative. Sounds good at first, doesn't it? Bamboo grows quickly, needs little water and is biodegradable - a real eco-dream. But watch out: Not everything that is packaged in green is really green.
Imported bamboo toilet paper from China in particular is often advertised with claims that, on closer inspection, have little substance. And this is where the problem begins: greenwashing.
1. disguised origin: "From Europe" - but actually from China
Some suppliers try to make their products look more European than they actually are. They suggest production in Europe, although the toilet paper is actually imported from China. The bamboo grows there and the paper is produced there - often under conditions that are neither transparent nor verifiable. It may then be packaged in Europe - and then the impression is created that it is a local product.
This is misleading - and unfair to companies that actually produce in Europe with clear standards.
2. unrealistic CO₂ values
Some brands publish CO₂ figures that are barely comprehensible - sometimes even better than regionally produced alternatives. This is simply impossible when you think about it:
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The bamboo must first be harvested in China
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Then it is processed there
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The finished paper is then shipped across the globe
How can this result in a lower carbon footprint than regional production using renewable energies? Right - not at all. Unless you do the math creatively. Or you simply don't publish a complete life cycle analysis (LCA), as is unfortunately the case with some suppliers.
3. no complete transparency
Responsible companies publish their LCAs openly - including the origin of raw materials, transportation routes, energy sources and production conditions. However, many "green" brands that rely on bamboo from China do not do this. Instead: Buzzwords such as "environmentally friendly", "CO₂-neutral" or "sustainable" - without any traceable data.
4. why we at Oh Sheet! take a different approach
We use bamboo toilet paper that is produced in Europe - by a manufacturer that is the only one in Europe to produce 100% with renewable energy. Our environmental footprint is transparent and open to scrutiny. We don't just want to sound good - we want to do it right.
Because real impact needs more than pretty packaging and marketing promises. It needs transparency, fairness and responsibility.
