‘Fashionable’ toilet rolls making ‘dubious’ claims about being made from bamboo, Which? finds
Some “fashionable” toilet roll brands claiming to be made from sustainable bamboo actually contain very little and are instead using virgin wood, a new investigation suggests.
Which?, a website that researches consumer choices, tested one sample from each of five popular brands implying they are made from bamboo.
Bamboo is marketed as greener than regular paper made from virgin trees on the basis the grass grows so quickly and the process releases fewer greenhouse gases, which drive climate change.
Which? found samples from Bumboo, Naked Sprout and Bazoo contained just 2.7%, 4% and 26.1% bamboo-like grass fibres, respectively.
Bazoo says it makes “tree-free, 100% bamboo toilet paper” and Bumboo cites its “FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified and tested 100% bamboo from well-managed forests”.
Naked Sprout does not claim the product is made only from bamboo, but also does not specify that its bamboo range contains other materials.
Which? said supply chains are “complicated” but that the “onus is on brands” to audit them.
Emily Seymour, Which? sustainability editor, said: “If you’re making green claims about particular products, and you’re expecting customers to believe those claims, and to buy things on the basis of them, then it’s really on you as a company to make sure that your checks and balances are correct.”
She praised the “great” response from Bumboo, which, after being alerted to the issue by Which? in January, stepped up its testing.
Rob Ingram, CEO of Bumboo, told Sky News he was “devastated” to learn of Which?’s findings, and said the issue came from a paper mill in China that had sold it the wrong product.
“We immediately figured out what the problem was and fixed it because we only annual tested before… now we’re going to do it on every single batch, in order to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
According to consultancy firm McKinsey, COVID-19 lockdowns helped drive a shift to purchases of products from e-retailers, such as some of those tested by Which?.
It said in a 2021 report consumers are “increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy”, including of tissue products.
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Why sewage is flooding streets and gardens
Which? had found that the tested toilet rolls comprised mostly less eco-friendly 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, Which? said.
It tested two other brands, Who Gives a Crap (WGAC) and The Cheeky Panda, and found they contained 100% bamboo, as claimed.
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‘Disappointed’ response
The testing was carried out by an independent lab using an industry standard test known as TAPPI T 401.
The process breaks down a sample of paper to quantify and identify its components.
Naked Sprout said it is “incredibly disappointed by a recent Which? report that suggests our bamboo toilet paper contains a low percentage of bamboo”.
A spokesperson said: “Our entire supply chain (4 pulp suppliers and 1 manufacturer) is FSC certified… the most credible supply chain organisation worldwide. The FSC has stated that there have been no issues identified with any of our pulp suppliers. The FSC is undertaking further investigation to further verify this.
“TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry) admit that the current test has limitations and say that ‘considerable variation in the precision is to be expected’.”
They added: “Our products remain the most sustainable option on the market. Both our bamboo and recycled toilet papers have lower carbon footprints than any other eco or mainstream option. This is because the factory we use is powered by on-site renewable energy, our shipping and postage is as green as possible, and our packaging is plastic free and fully recyclable.”
They are about to start showing customers supply chain data, allowing them to see “exactly where our bamboo is grown, exactly how it comes to our factory, and exactly what goes into our products to produce their toilet paper”.
TAPPI said: “Of course, every testing method has limitations, and TAPPI/ANSI T 401 clearly outlines its limitations within the TM itself.
“We see no contradictions in the way Which? applied T 401, and it seems disingenuous to suggest that a TM applied successfully to other brands tested for this article would be inadequate for Naked Sprout.”
A spokesperson for Bazoo said: “Bazoo and our entire supply chain is vigorously audited by the Forest Stewardship Council, the leading supply chain certifier in our market, so we were incredibly disappointed to know that any of our rolls had been contaminated at source. We are in extensive communications with FSC to understand clearly where this error occurred.
“We truly are committed to delivering on our promise of 100% bamboo rolls and have taken every step in our power to understand the root of the problem and ensure we’re fully protected from any future contamination.
“This means stricter quality control measures, more frequent testing, and doing right by our customers that have received contaminated products.”
They said any customers affected by the contaminated batch have been contacted, adding: “As a UK start-up trying to make a difference we knew there would be bumps along the way.”
Elon Musk could be on track for a $1trn (£761bn) pay package – if Tesla meets a series of extremely ambitious targets over the next 10 years.
The world’s richest man has the potential to become a trillionaire after the controversial plans were approved by 75% of the company’s shareholders.
It would be the largest corporate pay package in history.
However, it won’t be easy. As part of the agreement, Musk will need to deliver 20 million Tesla vehicles over the next decade – more than double the number churned out over the past 12 years.
He will be tasked with dramatically increasing the company’s valuation and operating profits.
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Musk closer to trillionaire status
Another requirement is for Tesla to roll out one million AI-powered robots – despite the fact it hasn’t released a single one so far.
Musk will also need to come up with a succession plan on who will replace him as the chief executive of Tesla.
As each step is successfully completed, he will receive more company shares and his ownership stake will rise – potentially from 13% now to almost 29%.
And even if Musk falls short of some of these targets, he could end up earning a lot of money.
Figures from Forbes magazine suggest the 54-year-old already has a net worth of $493bn (£375bn) – and while that means he has more money than anyone else on the planet, he isn’t the richest person in history… yet.
That title belongs to John D Rockefeller, the railroad titan who had a wealth of $630bn (£480bn) back in 1913 – when adjusted for inflation.
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The X Effect
Why?
Now is the moment Tesla wants to innovate, develop into robotics, self-driving and embrace the growth of artificial intelligence (AI).
It’s seeking a visionary leader to spearhead this move. And a lot of Tesla’s market value is tied up in this ambition.
Tesla’s board of directors, who oversee the management of the business, are adamant that only Musk can make the lofty ambitions a reality.
Some believe there’s no one else like Musk.
More shares in the company are “critical to keep Musk at the helm to lead Tesla through the most critical time in the company’s history”, said financial services firm Wedbush.
“We believe this was the smart move by the board to lay out these incentives/pay package at this key time as the biggest asset for Tesla is Musk … and with the AI revolution, this is a crucial time for Tesla ahead with autonomous and robotics front and centre.”
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Opposition
Not everyone is in favour of the pay package.
Major investor advice firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) warned the 10-year pay agreement reduces the board’s ability “to meaningfully adjust future pay levels in the event of unforeseen events or changes in either the performance or strategic focus of the company over the next decade”.
In a note, ISS said: “The high value of each tranche could also potentially undermine Musk’s desire to achieve all goals and create significant value for shareholders”, and that the goals “lack precision”.
Musk has described ISS and another major adviser, Glass Lewis, as “corporate terrorists”.
There was speculation he would walk away from the business if the package was not agreed on.
ITV has revealed talks with Sky, the owner of Sky News, over the possible sale of its media and entertainment (M&E) division in a deal worth £1.6bn.
Sky News understands the approach centres on the potential creation of a UK-focused streaming giant.
The division takes in ITV’s current broadcast operations and channels, which are largely dependent on advertising revenue.
The talks do not include the company’s studios arm, which makes shows such as I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
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“There can be no certainty as to the terms upon which any potential sale may be agreed or whether any transaction will take place”, a statement by ITV to the London Stock Exchange said.
“A further announcement will be made in due course if appropriate”, it concluded.
ITV shares jumped by 15% in early trading in response to the statement.
The potential deal involves ITV’s channels but not the company’s production arm. Pic: PA
Sky, which is wholly owned by the US media and entertainment firm Comcast, declined to comment.
ITV released its statement after news of the discussions were first revealed by Bloomberg News.
Just hours earlier, the company’s latest financial results showed it was moving to save millions of pounds due to an advertising slowdown.
ITV reported delays to some programmes over the coming months to save costs as a result.
Sky is owned by the US company Comcast
It predicted a 9% decline in ad revenues across 2025, with the most recent trends being blamed on advertisers pulling back on spending in anticipation of the chancellor’s budget later this month.
It is understood that a possible deal between Sky and ITV would seek to create a larger, more attractive proposition for advertisers in the UK streaming sphere through a focus on UK audiences.
ITV has long been the subject of takeover speculation.
The latest came from the Reuters news agency earlier this year when it reported early-stage talks with Abu Dhabi-backed group RedBird IMI about a possible merger of their respective production businesses.
French media group Banijay was also reported to have held discussions about a possible offer for ITV’s studio business or a full takeover.
Elon Musk could be on track for a $1trn (£761bn) pay package – if Tesla meets a series of extremely ambitious targets over the next 10 years.
The world’s richest man has the potential to become a trillionaire after the controversial plans were approved by shareholders.
However, it won’t be easy. As part of the agreement, Musk will need to deliver 20 million Tesla vehicles over the next decade – more than double the number churned out over the past 12 years.
He will be tasked with dramatically increasing the company’s valuation and operating profits.
Another requirement is for Tesla to roll out one million AI-powered robots – despite the fact it hasn’t released a single one so far.
Musk will also need to come up with a succession plan on who will replace him as the chief executive of Tesla.
As each step is successfully completed, he will receive more company shares and his ownership stake will rise – potentially from 13% now to almost 29%.
And even if Musk falls short of some of these targets, he could end up earning a lot of money.
Figures from Forbes magazine suggest the 54-year-old already has a net worth of $493bn (£375bn) – and while that means he has more money than anyone else on the planet, he isn’t the richest person in history… yet.
That title belongs to John D. Rockefeller, the railroad titan who had wealth of $630bn (£480bn) back in 1913 – when adjusted for inflation.
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Could Elon Musk become the world’s first trillionaire?
Why?
Now is the moment Tesla wants to innovate, develop into robotics, self-driving and embrace the growth of artificial intelligence (AI).
It’s seeking a visionary leader to spearhead this move. And a lot of Tesla’s market value is tied up in this ambition.
Tesla’s board of directors, who oversee the management of the business, are adamant that only Musk can make the lofty ambitions a reality.
Some believe there’s no one else like Musk.
More shares in the company are “critical to keep Musk at the helm to lead Tesla through the most critical time in the company’s history”, said financial services firm Wedbush.
“We believe this was the smart move by the board to lay out these incentives/pay package at this key time as the biggest asset for Tesla is Musk … and with the AI revolution, this is a crucial time for Tesla ahead with autonomous and robotics front and centre.”
“Getting Musk’s pay package approved will be a big step towards advancing Tesla’s future goals,” Wedbush analysts wrote.
Opposition
Not everyone is in favour of the pay package.
Major investor advice firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) warned the 10-year pay agreement reduces the board’s ability “to meaningfully adjust future pay levels in the event of unforeseen events or changes in either the performance or strategic focus of the company over the next decade”.
In a note, ISS said: “The high value of each tranche could also potentially undermine Musk’s desire to achieve all goals and create significant value for shareholders”, and that the goals “lack precision”.
Mr Musk has described ISS and another major adviser, Glass Lewis, as “corporate terrorists”.
There was speculation he would walk away from the business if the package was not agreed on.
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