Have you ever wondered what our leaf symbol is all about? One of the proudest elements of Boo roll for us as a team of proud and practicing sustainable warriors is our leaf symbol.
Boo's leaf icon symbolises that our Boo roll is made without any bleaching agents. Bleaching agents known as chlorine bleach or sodium hypochlorite, is commonly used in the processing of toilet paper and other papers to become bright white. But have you ever questioned: is this is necessary?
Where did bright white come from anyway?
There is very little perfect bright white in nature. Daisy leaves, snow (although I know I know, snow is clear...) clouds are wispy white but really, when you consider it, white isn't a common "colour" to be found in our natural world.
In fact white is often associated with sanitisation. Think of hospitals and dentists: highly sanitised environments you wouldn't want bacteria lingering in for long. And so a white and minimalist scene is set which lends itself well in clinical settings.
Here at Boo however, we can't help but consider how unnecessary bleach is in the process of making papers? Whether this is printing paper, kitchen roll or toilet paper, why do humans as consumers place this demand on producers? Or conversely, the producers persist to use bleach in the manufacturing process?
At Boo we believe the global society have collectively reached a point in our understanding that our planet's needs must come first if we are to mitigate some of the impending climate doom. And this shift must involve reassessing our consumer choices from the countries of the world that consume the most: the Western nations, also known as the global North.
In the West, we are spoilt and accustomed to making choices that seem ordinary w, such as demanding a bright white toilet roll, without knowing the consequences. The fact this banal item is taking a toll on the environment needs to be addressed. With every bleached toilet roll, chlorine releases unnecessary potential carcinogens. Incrementally, demand for chlorine bleach means more will end up as waste water and enters our waterways.
What is chlorine bleach?
Chlorine bleach or sodium hypochlorite is a alkaline inorganic chemical compound.
What is chlorine bleach used for?
Bleach can commonly be found in school settings as its an effective disinfectant with the ability to kill viruses including norovirus and other lingering bacteria's. Bleach is also used in hospital's and other clinical settings as well as homes. In processing and manufacturing, it is used to whiten wood for example.
What is the problem with bleach?
Bleach produces chloroform, a known carcinogen. A carcinogen causes cancer cells to form in living beings. This is why overuse of chlorine bleach in homes, hospitals and within processing factories carries a number of ethical issues. If we know something is dangerous to our collective health, why do we persist to use it?
The simple answer in this case is: its cheap and effective. Swimming pools rely on chlorine to keep their swimming pools free of potentially fatal bacteria's- it's important to offer a balanced view. Yet, when it comes to toilet paper, we struggle to understand the need to use bleach to make something that is essentially going down the toilet!
Boo is a lovely and warm biscuit colour. You might have thought it is simply because Boo is made of bamboo. But the reality is, you can also buy bright white bamboo toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap. It is very important to us at Boo to remain firm to our founding principle's: Boo will always be chlorine free and natural.
#bamboo #bambootoiletroll #boofortheloo #bamboopaper