4 Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper Brands Tested And Reviewed

Did you know that not all toilet paper is made from trees? It’s true! In this post, I’m reviewing four eco-friendly toilet paper brands that are far more sustainable than conventional toilet paper.

In 2010, National Geographic reported that over 27,000 trees are cut down daily to produce toilet paper.

These trees are virgin forests that take years and years to grow back, and there is something we can do together to reduce this demand.

By switching to recycled toilet paper [recycled paper, not using toilet paper twice], bamboo toilet paper, or even agriculture-waste toilet paper, we can eliminate the need for virgin wood pulp to be used to produce our toilet paper.

[Updates, as of September 2023, are provided throughout the post highlighting which toilet papers I purchased after this review. I’ve also included what eco-friendly toilet paper I’m currently using at the end of this post.]

How are recycled toilet paper, bamboo toilet paper, and agriculture-waste toilet paper more sustainable than virgin wood pulp?

Recycled toilet paper is post-consumer [households or businesses that recycle paper] and/or pre-consumer [scraps from the manufacturing process]. It takes the virgin wood pulp that is already cut down and processed and gives it a second use. It reduces the need for more virgin wood pulp.

Bamboo toilet paper is more sustainable than traditional toilet paper because bamboo grows quickly, so harvesting sustainably is easier.

Scientists also believe that bamboo produces more oxygen and has the potential to absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide compared to trees.

Based on my research, I’m not comfortable with linking to specific posts, as there are many different results from these studies. I didn’t find one sound answer across the board, so I encourage you to do your own research.

The only problem I see currently with bamboo toilet paper is that it is manufactured in China because China is the Capital of Bamboo. Having to ship it overseas increases its carbon emissions.

However, as you will see in my reviews of each toilet paper brand, the bamboo toilet paper brands are focused on being carbon-neutral companies, which is a great thing.

I do encourage you to read this post by Treehugger that compares recycled paper to bamboo. Personally, I found this to be an interesting read.

Agriculture waste toilet paper probably isn’t what you’re thinking.

It isn’t made from animal waste. It is actually plant waste left over from harvest season. Farmers have two options in dealing with their waste: decomposition or burning.

While I do think decomposition is good for the soil, if a farmer has to opt for burning, I think it is better to recycle it to make toilet paper.

The good thing about this option is that it is similar to recycled paper but adds another piece to the circular economy. I won’t go into all my thoughts here, but if you’d like to hear more, leave a comment below, and we can discuss it. 🙂

Regardless of which material you prefer, you’re choosing better for your home and the planet when you choose one of these options because you’re reducing the demand for virgin wood pulp, which reduces the need for deforestation.

Now that you know about the materials within these reviews, let’s dive into the reviews!

What to Expect in This Review

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to toilet paper, so I’m reviewing each one with that in mind.

I’ll present you the facts, as well as my husband’s opinion and my own.

Here is what I’ll specifically cover in each review:

• Where the company is located
• Where the product was made
• Toilet paper and tube material
• Packaging
• Price
• Strength
• How clean it leaves you
• Thoughts from my husband and myself

At the end, I’ll share some important things about the brands across the board, as well as my favorites!

Eco-friendly Toilet Paper Brand Reviews

This list is listed in the order of when I tried them.

The sustainable toilet paper brands being reviewed include:

1. BetterWay
2. Emerald Brand
3. Tushy
4. Natural Value

BetterWay Bamboo Toilet Paper Review

BetterWay was the first bamboo toilet paper I’ve ever tried. It was definitely a different experience, and I’m not mad about it.

BetterWay is FSC Certified [Forest Stewardship Council], which means they source their bamboo from a panda-free zone with strict regulations.

There are a lot of interesting facts on BetterWay’s homepage, so be sure to check that out for a lot more information.

Here are the facts:

• USA-based company that ships to the continental USA
• Manufactured in China
• Climate Neutral Certified
• Toilet Paper Material: Bamboo
• Toilet Paper Roll: Cardboard
• 3ply & 360 sheets
• Shipping Packaging: Recycled cardboard box
• Toilet Paper Packaging: Paper
• Price: Box of 36 | One-time purchase $51.99; Subscription [5% off & flexible] $49.39
• Use coupon code ‘SOFTONTHEPLANET’ for 10% OFF your order

Now to share thoughts about the bamboo toilet paper:

• Strength – 10 out of 10! This is the strongest toilet paper I’ve ever used.
• Cleanliness – 10 out of 10!

My husband thought this toilet paper was a little too strong and not as soft as the conventional toilet paper we’ve used previous to this. Overall, he did like how clean it left him and will use it again.

I personally found this bamboo toilet paper only comfortable for #2. In my opinion, it is too strong and not soft enough for #1. I also love how clean it left my bottom.

My husband and I agree that if you need it for #2, it is the toilet paper you want on hand.

Shop BetterWay 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper and use code ‘SOFTONTHEPLANET’ for 10% off your order.

Natural Value 100% Recycled Toilet Paper Review

Natural Value is a unique company as it started out in 1995 with a husband and wife team that prioritized their values of quality, fair trade, and people. Since then, Natural Value has grown into a nationwide brand with a full team of people bringing eco-friendly products to homes all over the USA.

They believe in people over profits while doing good for the planet, which is why it was such a pleasure to review their toilet paper!

Here are the facts:

• USA-based company found on Amazon and in stores across the USA
• Manufactured in the USA
• Toilet Paper Material: 100% Recycled Paper – minimum of 80% post-consumer with the rest being pre-consumer
• Toilet Paper Roll: Cardboard – a combination of wood pulp and recycled paper
• 2 ply & 500 Sheets
• Shipping Packaging: Cardboard box
• Toilet Paper Packaging: Paper
• Price: Box of 48 | Check Amazon for current prices

Now to share thoughts about recycled toilet paper:

• Strength – 9 out of 10
• Cleanliness – 8 out of 10

Both my husband and I agree that this is closer to conventional toilet paper when it comes to softness and feel. However, we love that it isn’t traditional toilet paper but rather recycled toilet paper.

The only issue I have with it is that it can leave pieces behind sometimes. This didn’t happen every time, but enough times to note it.

Update September 2023: I have reordered this toilet paper due to it being made of recycled materials a couple of times. However, I am not currently using it.

Shop Natural Value 100% Recycled Toilet Paper now!

Tushy Bamboo Toilet Paper Review

Tushy is a uniquely branded company, and I really enjoy their toilet humor! They have several eco-friendly toilet products, including bidets, ottomans, towels, and more.

I really feel they want to elevate the restroom experience as much as possible, which honestly increased my expectations for their toilet paper.

One thing I found very insightful on their website is this piece of information:

One roll of our Bamboo TP takes 0.59 gallons of water. One roll of conventional TP takes 37 gallons of water! #math

[source]

So for each box of toilet paper [36 rolls in the box], you’re saving over 1,300 gallons of water! [1,310.76 to be exact!]

Here are the facts:

• USA based company
• Manufactured in China
• Committed to carbon-neutral
• Toilet Paper Material: 100% Bamboo
• Toilet Paper Roll: Cardboard
• 3 ply & 300 Sheets
• Shipping Packaging: Cardboard box
• Toilet Paper Packaging: Paper
• Price: Box of 36 | One-time purchase $69; Subscription [14.49% & flexible] $59
• Use the coupon code ‘HOMESTEAD’ for 10% off your purchase!

Now to share thoughts about bamboo toilet paper:

• Strength – 10 out of 10
• Cleanliness – 10 out of 10

My husband’s main comment was about how the toilet paper is still natural brown and not bleached white like the other toilet paper. It took him a few uses to get used to the idea that most toilet paper is bleached.

However, he really likes this toilet paper. It is soft, yet pretty strong!

Tushy’s Bamboo Toilet Paper is the most comfortable for me to use for #1 and #2. It really did meet my expectations!

The only comment I have about it besides enjoying it is that you have to pay attention to which side you use. One side is soft, while the other is textured due to the pattern stamping.

Update September 2023: I did reorder this toilet paper right after publishing this post but have since stopped due to choosing to support recycled material over bamboo. Still believe it is a great toilet paper if you prefer bamboo.

Shop Tushy Premium Bamboo Toilet Paper and use code ‘HOMESTEAD’ for 10% off your purchase!

Emerald Brand Tree-Free Toilet Paper Review

Emerald Brand is very innovative with their Tree-Free materials – agriculture waste. They use things that would otherwise be left to decompose or be burned, like sugarcane bagasse, wheat, and miscanthus.

As I mentioned before, I think decomposing plant material is good for the soil. However, if the farmer has to opt for burning, this is a far better use of these materials. Of course, this is just my opinion.

Emerald Brand prides themselves on finding eco-friendly alternatives to traditional toilet paper that is manufactured in the USA, which I believe sets them apart from other brands. This is why I was so excited to review their toilet paper.

One cool thing to note is that they use hydrogen peroxide to bleach their paper, which isn’t something I’ve seen anyone else do either.

They are also FSC Certified, so the materials they use are sourced sustainably.

Here are the facts:

• USA based company
• Manufactured in the USA
• Committed to carbon-neutral
• Toilet Paper Material: a minimum of 50% Agriculture Waste; the remaining material is FSC Certified Sustainably Sourced paper.
• Toilet Paper Roll: Post-consumer recycled corrugated board
• 2 ply & 500 Sheets
• Shipping Packaging: Cardboard box
• Toilet Paper Packaging: Paper, excluding the alternative bundle listed below
• Price: Check the price for a Box of 96

Now to share thoughts about the Tree-Free toilet paper:

• Strength – 9 out of 10
• Cleanliness – 9 out of 10

I think the innovation from Emerald Brand for this toilet paper is amazing and thinking outside of the box.

Farmers don’t have large profit margins and, oftentimes, no profit at all. Providing them with another avenue of income from the food they create is a brilliant way to increase the flow of a circular economy.

With that being said, let me get to the actual use of the toilet paper.

This toilet paper feels like commercial-grade toilet paper to my husband and me. For example, if you were to go into a really nice public restroom with quality toilet paper, this is what you would use.

It is good quality toilet paper, but not very soft.

Emerald Brand actually makes industrial-size toilet paper, so you may have used it in a public restroom already.

Shop Emerald Brand Tree-Free™ Farm To Tissue® Toilet Tissue now!

So which eco-friendly toilet paper is my favorite of the four?

To be honest, this is complicated to answer, so I have a few answers for you!

Before I share my answers with you, I do want to address a few things that I found among each of these brands:

1. All four of these toilet papers are superior to traditional toilet paper when it comes to strength and cleanliness. Bamboo was definitely the strongest material of them all.
2. I was surprised with how thick the toilet paper tubes were for all four of these brands. I’ve never seen traditional toilet paper with as thick of tubes as these. If I were to make a suggestion, it would be to decrease the thickness, as I don’t believe thick tubes are necessary.
3. BetterWay, Natural Value, and Emerald Brand bleach their toilet paper, but none of them use chlorine. They all use safe alternatives, including elemental-free chlorine (ECF) and hydrogen peroxide. [Tushy doesn’t bleach their toilet paper.]
4. All of these brands are passionate about sustainability and doing good for the planet. They all have unique approaches to their toilet paper and bathroom experiences, and I just wanted to recognize that they are all doing great things.
5. One impression I received from all of these brands is that they don’t want the consumer to feel responsible for any environmental impact. With the efforts they put into their packaging and products, I truly feel they want to hold the responsibility for the environmental impact of producing products on themselves, which is honestly refreshing!

With all of that said, let’s dive into my favorites!

My favorite eco-friendly toilet paper, based on usage experience, is Tushy.

It is the most comfortable for my husband and myself to use. We found it to be the softest of the four brands.

I also love that they are the only brand of the four not to bleach their toilet paper.

My favorite eco-friendly toilet paper based on manufacturing and shipping is Natural Value.

They are the only brand out of the four that use 100% recycled materials for their toilet paper. They are also the only brand that manufactures their product in the same country they are sold.

My favorite eco-friendly toilet paper based on packaging is BetterWay.

They use recycled cardboard boxes and plastic-free tape to ship their toilet paper, and their toilet paper is wrapped in compostable paper.

Honestly, all four brands use sustainable, zero-waste packaging, including the paper wrapped around the toilet paper, but BetterWay has the leg up by using recycled cardboard boxes and plastic-free tape.

My favorite eco-friendly toilet paper based on innovation is Emerald Brand.

They are a step above the rest with the innovation of their toilet paper, as well as their other products. And based on talking with them, they aren’t done yet! I cannot wait to see where Emerald Brand goes with their ideas and what that means for us, the consumers!

As you can tell from my answers, I feel each brand stands out in different ways.

I truly believe that when you chose one of these brands, you are winning at increasing your sustainability in your bathroom and home.

Update September 2023: I’m currently using Seventh Generation’s White Toilet Paper 2-ply 100% Recycled Paper. This is my third reorder of this toilet paper, and I see myself continuing to use it.

Other product reviews to read:

• Menstrual Cup Review – Why I chose The Pixie Cup Starter Kit
• Eco-Friendly Period Pants – My Review of Eco-Friendly Period Underwear
• 4 Unpaper Toilet Paper to Replace Toilet Paper + Why You Should Swap
• 3 Reasons to Choose Lola Feminine Care For Your Eco-Friendly Period
• The Best Reusable Menstrual Pads For An Eco-Friendly Period

Final thoughts

That was a lot to unload about eco-friendly toilet paper and reviewing these four brands.

I hope you enjoyed it and found at least one brand you’d like to try.

Remember, when shopping for their toilet paper, go back to their piece of the review for any coupon codes they may offer and quick access with direct links to the products.