Samples of three out of the five of the UK’s top bamboo brands are actually made from other woods, some of them heavily implicated in deforestation, a recent report has claimed.
According to findings from consumer watchdog Which? only 2.7 per cent of the fibre in the loo paper came from bamboo. Other woods found in the products included acacia, a species associated with deforestation in Indonesia, and eucalyptus, another fast-growing tropical hardwood species.
Two of the top bamboo loo roll brands came out of the tests flushed with success: Who Gives A Crap and The Cheeky Panda were found to contain 100 per cent bamboo, exactly what they said on the packaging.
Which? commissioned a “loodunnit?” analysis of the top five eco loo roll brands claiming to be made from bamboo or 100 per cent bamboo. Bumboo contained only 2.7 per cent bamboo-like grass fibres, while Naked Sprout contained about four per cent, and Bazoo toilet paper was about 26 per cent bamboo.
Which? said brands using bamboo as an eco-friendly selling point must be able to back up their promises. Emily Seymour, sustainability editor at Which? said, “Given so many shoppers are taking steps to be more sustainable, it’s vital they can trust claims made by brands – particularly when they are paying more for a product they believe is better for the environment.”
She added, “Businesses must take responsibility for ensuring their products contain what they say on the packaging, so that shoppers who want to make sustainable choices can trust the information they are given.”
Bamboo is being increasingly used in eco-friendly products, from alternatives to plastic to its use as a building material. A fast-growing grass species, it can thrive in poor soils, absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and can produce more oxygen than trees.
Brian McLister