Can you think of a more sensitive body area that you’d like to keep chemical-free? The decisions we make in the bathroom, made daily and often over time, have profound impacts on our bodies and health. Established in 1992, the TPCH Model Legislation aimed at restricting the sum of four intentionally introduced heavy metals into consumer products, including lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium VI (the worst kind), to no more than 100 parts per million (ppm).

EcoRoll toilet paper is tested by Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS), an independent lab, in accordance with the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) Model. These tests include lead, cadmium, mercury, and chromium because these heavy metals can be harmful to human and environmental health. 

• Lead—linked to developmental issues, especially in children

• Cadmium—can build up in the body and affect the kidneys

• Mercury—toxic to the nervous system and harmful to wildlife

• Chromium VI—a skin irritant and carcinogen

In 2021 (our most recent certification is dated 2023), the US TPCH issued an update to its Model Legislation. The revised Model Legislation included:

• And expanded list of regulated chemicals to include (ortho) phthalates and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — as you have seen, we talk about the no intentionally added PFAS confirmed by SGS

• Adds new processes and criteria for identifying and regulating additional chemicals of high concern in packaging

• Provides a new definition for ‘Post-consumer recycled material’

Third-party lab verification ensures that our toilet paper does not contain this range of potentially harmful heavy metal residues. While the quantities of these chemicals in any single roll of toilet paper are very small, over a year, a lifetime, there is repeated exposure and potentially harm that is often and easily overlooked.