The Best Tree-Free & Eco-Friendly Toilet Papers of 2021

Looking for more ways to make your home a little greener? We’ve put together a list of some of the best tree-free toilet papers of 2021.

An eco-friendly lifestyle involves many small but significant changes, often applied gradually over time. One of the ways people can reduce their carbon footprint is by using home goods that are zero waste or tree-free.

It may come as no surprise that paper products, even if they’re recyclable or compostable, contribute significantly to the world’s deforestation crises and growing concerns for environmental stability long-term.

Tree-free paper products, like paper towels or napkins, can be integrated seamlessly into your cabinets in a way that’s both cost-effective and good for the planet. Besides helping keep more trees alive, tree-free products often come from plant sources that regrow quickly — such as bamboo — while minimizing ecological disruption in harvesting.

But there are lots of eco-friendly toilet paper options to choose from! Not all will be the same, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best ones available as of 2021.

What Is Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper and Why You Should Make the Switch

Eco-friendly toilet paper refers very broadly to any type of TP made with alternative or recycled materials, rather than virgin wood pulp (i.e., wood pulp from freshly cut down trees and regular toilet paper’s common ingredient).

Of these eco-friendly substitutes, most are made either of recycled / post-consumer recycled materials or bamboo. They’re free of scents, dyes, BPAs, bleaches, and other less-than-stellar materials. The companies that make them also tend to contribute to humanitarian or environmental protection initiatives as well.

So why make the switch? Reusable straws and plastic-free food storage containers are obvious choices for going green at home and on the go. So why tree-free toilet paper?

In order to make toilet paper, manufacturers and loggers cut down nearly 30,000 trees every single day. Besides constipating landfills and clogging up the air with pollution, this hyper-consumption of trees destroys fragile wildlife habitats and increasingly edges out indigenous communities.

Plus, because tree-free toilet paper is made from cleaner and simpler materials, it’s often less irritating for people with skin sensitivity to dyes. Bamboo toilet paper won’t have the same plush texture, to be fair, though many brands have made efforts to make their products softer so that they’re still a joy to use.

Our Picks: The Best Tree-Free Toilet Papers of 2021

Below is a list of some of the best eco-friendly toilet papers of 2021. Each offers something unique, whether that’s the material construction, brand sustainability initiatives, packaging, texture, or anything else.

You’ll find that some of these are still very budget-friendly, at around $1 per roll, with rolls often lasting a bit longer than your traditional toilet paper, too, due to their high sheet count.

Public Goods: Tree Free Toilet Paper

We’re really proud of our Tree Free Toilet Paper. Eco-friendly and cruelty-free, it’s made from a mix of bamboo and sugarcane pulp. We use sugarcane pulp because it cuts back on waste and adds softness to each square. Sugarcane pulp is the fibrous byproduct of the sugar-making process, something that’s normally just trashed.

Each Public Goods tree-free, three-ply roll has 300 sheets, or about the same number found in your traditional jumbo or ultra mega toilet paper roll at the supermarket. No bleaches. No lint. 100% biodegradable and good for the environment.

Bim Bam Boo: Toilet Paper

Help save the rainforests with this eco-conscious toilet paper from Bim Bam Boo, made entirely from bamboo. Working with its team of scientists, Bim Bam Boom developed this hypoallergenic TP to have no irritation-causing rough particles or micro-fibers. It’s softer than recycled toilet paper, biodegradable, and won’t leave any lint behind.

For vegan and vegetarian shoppers, heads up! Traditional toilet papers are often made with the animal by-product gelatin, a binding agent that’s also found in gummy candies. Most tree-free toilet papers will be vegan-friendly and free of gelatin.

Who Gives a Crap: 100% Recycled Toilet Paper

This three-ply 100% Recycled Toilet Paper, per its name, is made entirely from recycled materials. These materials consist of post-consumer waste products sourced primarily from local schools and office supply buildings, an important step in helping communities cut back on waste. This TP is biodegradable and septic-safe.

Plus, 50% of profits go right to charities focusing on helping people gain clean access to water all over the world!

The Cheeky Panda: Bamboo Toilet Paper

Besides having a great brand name, Cheeky Panda’s Bamboo Toilet Paper is especially soft, lint-free, and features packaging made with zero plastics. In the name of sustainability and for the love of pandas, this eco-friendly toilet paper is made from bamboo sourced far away from any panda habitats and with no pesticides, fertilizers, or fragrances.

One of the reasons bamboo is so popular as an alternative material for making toilet paper is its quick growth rate. It’s one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, growing around 30 times faster than your average tree while producing 30% more oxygen in the process!

Plus, bamboo is hypoallergenic and has smoother fibers than those from wood pulp, making it especially suited for sensitive skin.

Reel: Premium Bamboo Toilet Paper

Delivered right to your door, Reel’s Premium Bamboo Toilet Paper is another great bamboo-based product to consider. It’s made from 100% bamboo, meaning no inks, dyes, BPAs, or other irritating chemicals were involved in bringing these sustainable rolls to life.

The packaging is entirely plastic-free and, like our Public Goods tree-free TP, this Reel eco-friendly toilet paper is safe for septic tanks. Reviewers commend the durable quality, weight, and thickness that help each roll last longer than conventional toilet paper.

While there are many eco-conscious products in the world, we included Reel because, beyond product quality, their company mission isn’t so different from ours here at Public Goods — to reshape the future to be more sustainable and accessible. Reel also works to help people in need suffering from a lack of resources, food, and those living in areas especially affected by climate change.

Shop Sustainably at Public Goods

Looking for more ways to go green? Explore our line of tree-free paper products and zero waste goods for your home, whether you’re looking to stock up on supplies for cleaning or pantry personal care products like a new razor.

Public Goods is your one-stop shop for all things sustainable, healthy, and affordable. We choose biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics and for every order, to help with carbon offsetting, we plant a tree.