Who Gives A Crap Toilet Paper Review – Is it Good & Is It Really Ethical?

These days, everybody is trying their best to reduce the environmental imprint on the world. Whether that be taking cold showers, eating slightly differently or walking rather than taking the car.

If you're really into lowering your environmental impact then you'll likely be researching Who Gives A Crap, a company that produce and sell 'Ethical and Environmentally friendly' toilet paper.

So, let us dig into our experience and whether we think the experience is worth it.

Who is Who Gives A Crap?

The faces of Who Gives a Crap are Simon, Danny and Lehan, three very happy-looking guys on the about us page. To be fair, they have a great sense of humour about the whole topic of their business. They set up their toilet paper company in 2012 via a crowdfunded campagin on IndieGoGo.

The company was set up after the founders learned that 2.4 billion / 40% of the world's population (UNICEF reported 4 billion and 60% of the world's population in 2018) people do not have access to a toilet. That is insane, but from travelling the world you do realise how greatly underappreciated a good throne is. What brings that stat home is the fact that nearly 300,000 children under 5 die of diarrhoeal diseases caused by water contamination. That would be 2/3 average British primary school of children a day.

The purpose of the company is not only to produce a less environmentally damaging toilet paper alternative (bamboo) but to donate 50% of its profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.

But the whole purpose of this post is to review Who Gives a Crap, to see if the paper is worth it and whether the company are having an impact.

Our Review

We shall start with an overall rundown of the service.

In basic terms, Who Gives a Crap is a subscription service that delivers toilet paper every 4 to 6 weeks. They have two sizes of boxes (24 and 48) to tailor to your use, and you can choose from "Premium" paper or 100% recycled. So if you don't mind the paper being a little rougher, then you can be extra environmentally friendly.

In my experience, the delivery was very quick and it came in a big branded box.

The paper: Is Who Gives a Crap toilet paper soft?

Let's look at the paper itself. Firstly, each roll is produced using bamboo or 100% recycled paper. The reason why bamboo is often used is down to the fact that it grows very quickly, sustainably and is completely biodegradable.

The paper comes individually wrapped in a little colourful paper wrapping. Which is a nice thing to see when you open the box. The paper is 3 ply so is durable, thick and strong.

The question everybody is asking is whether Who Gives A Caap toilet paper is soft? Well, the answer is that is so-so. I would not consider it particularly soft but it is by no means uncomfortable or rough. If you have a sensitive bum then just think of all the good you're doing by choosing toilets for people in need, over your once-daily (or twice) comfort.

The price of the paper is a sticking point for many. It is quite a bit more expensive than many of the options you'll find in a supermarket. The company sell a roll (in larget boxes) for between 0.85p to £1.20 per roll. For comparison, Andrex on Amazon is 0.45p per roll and a basic supermarket's own brand is around 0.30p per roll.

While both of these are certainly cheaper, the extra money you're spending with Who Gives a Crap is being used for good.

The Impact

The company impact is really the only reason why we would suggest Who Gives a Crap over 100% recycled alternatives you can buy in a supermarket. It is quite shocking how many people live without a toilet, and more importantly, proper sanitation.

So far the company have donated 11,222,000AUD to their partners globally. Which is amazing.

So is the company really ethical? Or is this just a clever marketing trick? Well, to start with Bamboo paper, while not perfect, is marginally better than recycled toilet paper for the environment. Not only is the source more sustainable but there is less chance of it clogging up the pipes or endinng up in the sea (like it does in the UK).

You can find so much more on their impact page here

Other Reviews for Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper