Meet the EcoRoll founders

It's been some time since we last introduced ourselves, and some of you are likely to have not met us at all. Since we started, our community (you lovely lot!) and the number of you with toilet paper subscriptions have bloomed. So we thought we'd take the opportunity to say hello and set out our ongoing mission at EcoRoll.

After being in the foodservice packaging industry for almost a decade, campaigning to remove single-use plastics in hospitality, EcoRoll was our response to an industry that required an update like many. There has been little incentive for innovation and sustainable initiatives, not at the governmental policy level, and so corporations continue to do what provides them with the most profits.

Why bamboo toilet paper?

The biggest toilet paper brands on the market contribute to global warming by destroying forests that pull carbon from the atmosphere. Most toilet paper is made of virgin tree pulp, chlorine, formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals to bleach and soften—an unsustainable approach to sanitation. When we launched our sustainable toilet paper company two years ago, we had one mission—to reduce the number of trees cut down to wipe ourselves. 

Trees are a critical part of our ecosystem, give us oxygen, and serve as important carbon dioxide absorbers, the main heat-trapping gas linked to global climate change. Globally, 27,000 trees are flushed down the toilet and dumped in landfills every day, and we didn't think that was okay. And we know you don' either.

In the last two years, we've been blown away by the thousands of subscribers who have committed to saving the world's forests—simply by wiping with our 100% FSC® certified bamboo instead. After years of research and development, we have toilet paper not made from trees, and we are proud to be the first and only Toitū Climate Positive certified organisation selling toilet paper. 

Aligns with your environmental values

In addition to deforestation, packaging remains highly problematic—plastic. Here in Aotearoa, much of the plastic we put out for recycling is landfilled—380,000 tonnes of it where sits for hundreds of years, emitting methane, which is terrible for the planet. Of the 45,000 tonnes of plastic collected for recycling and 90% of that is exported. And considering that only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled globally, recycling is ineffective. 

So next time you are wiping with EcoRoll, we hope you feel proud, knowing the impact of your choice, switching to bamboo has on this planet. We know we are! And finally, whether you've been with us for two years or two weeks, a big thank you from us for your support and commitment to EcoRoll and the planet. 

James and Alex,
Founders of EcoRoll and Ecoware Compostable Packaging.