Why we developed PlantPaper.

In the early 20th century, after centuries of wiping with stones, sponges, shirttails and corn cobs, we started using paper made of virgin tree pulp, chlorine, formaldehyde and a host of other toxic chemicals—a scorched earth approach to cleanliness—and haven’t stopped since.

The hidden costs of this practice are appalling: 27,000 trees per day flushed down the world’s toilets, including thousands of acres of boreal forest per minute; 37 gallons of water per roll; and over a gallon of bleach, formaldehyde and other chemicals per roll. And we now know that the very chemicals that make our toilet paper so white and fluffy also make it the cause of UTIs, fissures, vulvar irritation, and hemorrhoids.

The supply chain behind most toilet paper sold in the U.S. is controlled by a small handful of big corporations. With little competition to incentivize them to innovate, they continue to do what they have always done best: cutting down trees, contaminating our waterways and bloodstreams, and getting rich doing it.

All the while, they hide behind the excuse that if their products are harsh on the environment and on our bodies, it’s because that’s what the public wants. It’s certainly not what we wanted.

And if up until this point, that’s what we’ve been buying, it’s mostly because we haven’t known enough to demand an alternative—or couldn’t find a good one if we did. Toilet paper companies have always spoken in euphemisms about what their product is meant for, and have used cuddly bears and babies to distract us from the real business at hand. We didn’t want to be talked down to, and we didn’t want to beat around the bush.We wanted a toilet paper for 21st century humans.

After three years of research and development, we arrived at a product we’re proud of. Made entirely without trees, zero chlorine or formaldehyde, and requiring only a fraction of the water needed to produce tree paper.

Silky, soft and strong, featuring two sides—one for dabbing, one for grabbing—to keep us clean and leave no trace. We think now is the time to make the change.