Hygiene paper made from bamboo - An interview with Smooth Panda

In 2019, the consumption of hygiene paper, including toilet paper, kitchen towels, tissues, and facial tissues, amounted to approximately 1.58 million tons in Germany (Federal Environment Agency). This equates to a per capita consumption of roughly 18-19 kg annually and places an enormous burden on our forests. The start-up Smooth Panda has therefore made it their mission to develop plastic-free hygiene paper made from bamboo, and we are pleased to be able to present the concept behind it to you in more detail.

1. Who is behind Smooth Panda and how did the idea for hygiene paper made from bamboo come about?

Smooth Panda is a young startup from Reinfeld in Schleswig-Holstein. Karsten approached Simon in 2015 wanting to start his own company. They both knew they wanted to make a difference in the environmental sector. When their research revealed the hundreds of thousands of trees felled for toilet paper, Karsten remembered the bamboo toilet paper he'd used on his trip to Thailand. The idea for another alternative to tree-based toilet paper was born. And that's a good thing, because unfortunately, fewer and fewer Germans are buying sustainable recycled toilet paper.

Meanwhile, seven unconventional and creative minds are working to preserve forests and reduce plastic use.

2. Bamboo faces many prejudices. Is bamboo toilet paper really the more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional toilet paper?

The production of conventional toilet paper, tissues, and similar products requires the felling of countless trees, processing them using vast amounts of energy and water, and ultimately packaging them in plastic. That's a huge waste of resources just so we can blow our noses or wipe our bottoms :-) But there's a simpler way: Bamboo is a grass, so it grows much faster than trees and regenerates continuously. Our paper products require significantly less water and no unnecessary chemicals. Since we package our hygiene products exclusively in paper, unnecessary plastic packaging is eliminated – meaning it never ends up in the ocean or elsewhere.

3. Where do you produce your products and what is particularly important to you in the manufacturing process?

Thanks to the ideal climate, our bamboo grows in China. We work with the FSC®, which ensures that cultivation and harvesting have no negative impact on the environment, its inhabitants, or the local people. This is very important to us. After all, our primary goal is to preserve nature. Production takes place very close to the bamboo forests to avoid unnecessary transport.

4. You offset all CO2 emissions caused by the transport of your products. Which projects do you support with this?

That's right. Unfortunately, China is very far away, and so far we haven't been able to bring bamboo cultivation to Europe. Therefore, it goes without saying that we offset the emissions generated by transporting goods. Our donations go to a project in Nigeria that makes it easier for families to access energy-efficient stoves. Because cooking over open fires is common in Nigeria, the country's wood consumption is particularly high, and sadly, a large portion of the forests have already been cleared.

5. Your shop also offers an annual subscription. What advantages does the subscription offer compared to individual orders?

Our toilet paper subscription is convenient and straightforward. Once you subscribe, you'll never have to worry about toilet paper again, as it will be delivered to your door regularly. Naturally, it comes with carbon-neutral shipping and in a recycled cardboard box. Because our subscription customers are our most valued supporters, they receive our bamboo toilet paper at the very best price. And brand new: Many other sustainable drugstore products, such as cleaning tablets, deodorant, or toothbrushes, can now be included in your subscription box. So you get all your eco-friendly kitchen and bathroom products from one source.

6. You exclusively use plastic-free packaging. What else do you do in your company to avoid waste?

We place great importance on ensuring that our products and packaging are completely free of plastic waste – this applies to everything from tape to packing material. Furthermore, we use every shipping box until it's completely worn out and even cut the sizes by hand to exactly what's needed. Packing in the warehouse can quickly turn into a bit of a craft session :-)

In our daily office life, we also avoid waste wherever possible. For example, we buy our electrical appliances used, and a large portion of our office furniture is also second-hand.

7. Can we look forward to more products from you in the future?

Absolutely! After toilet paper, tissues, and kitchen roll, a box of cosmetic tissues is next on our customers' wish list. We're already working hard on it. And beyond hygiene papers, we're also developing other ideas for a sustainable home.

In our shop you can find the year's supply of imperfect, plastic-free tissues from Smooth Panda , and for on the go we also have the matching metal tin !

Source: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/umwelttipps-fuer-den-alltag/finanz-wohnen/papiertaschentuecher-hygienepapiere#background