Rethinking Something We Flush Away Every Day

Toilet paper probably isn't something you spend much time thinking about.

You buy it, use it, flush it, and eventually buy some more.

PlantPaper asks us to look a little closer.

The company makes toilet paper from unbleached bamboo rather than conventional virgin tree fiber and says its product avoids several substances found or potentially found in other household papers.[1]

So we asked: Does any of this actually matter?

We looked into PlantPaper, conventional toilet paper, alternative fibers, chemical testing, and the research behind some of the company's bigger claims.

Here's what we found.

First, What's Actually Different?

PlantPaper uses 100% FSC-certified bamboo instead of virgin tree pulp. Its paper is unbleached, and the company says it tests for substances including PFAS and formaldehyde.[1]

In September 2026, it also became the first bamboo toilet paper and facial tissue to earn Green Seal certification.[2]

Those are real differences.

The question is whether they're meaningful ones.

The Strongest Case Is Environmental

Conventional toilet paper still relies heavily on virgin forest fiber. The Natural Resources Defense Council's Issue with Tissue research documents the environmental consequences of that reliance and identifies recycled and responsibly sourced alternative fibers as more sustainable options.[3]

PlantPaper takes the bamboo route-and doesn't rely entirely on its own claims to support it. Green Seal independently certified PlantPaper under standards examining fiber sourcing, manufacturing practices, chemical use, packaging, performance, and finished-product fiber composition.[2]

That gives PlantPaper's environmental case meaningful independent support.

Is Bamboo the Best Option?

Not necessarily.

NRDC's research has found recycled fiber can outperform bamboo environmentally, while bamboo carries a smaller land-use and carbon footprint than wood pulp.[4]

The useful comparison isn't simply trees vs. bamboo, but virgin fiber vs. recycled fiber vs. responsibly sourced alternatives.

PlantPaper's bamboo offers meaningful advantages over conventional virgin forest fiber. That doesn't make bamboo the lowest-impact option available.

What About the Chemicals?

PlantPaper also draws attention to substances consumers probably don't associate with toilet paper. Some of those concerns are legitimate.

PFAS have been detected in toilet-paper samples and identified as a potential input of certain PFAS compounds into wastewater systems.[5]

Research has also detected BPA and BPS in paper products, including toilet paper, with recycled paper streams identified as a source of contamination.[6][7]

But detecting a substance doesn't tell us whether it is harming the user.

Can the Body Absorb Substances There?

Yes-but that doesn't complete the argument.

Rectal administration can deliver some substances into systemic circulation, and the extent of absorption depends significantly on the substance and formulation.[8][9]

What we did not find was evidence showing that contaminants identified in conventional dry toilet paper transfer and are absorbed during ordinary use at levels known to cause significant systemic harm.

Presence is not exposure, and exposure is not automatically risk.

PlantPaper can meaningfully remove substances a consumer would rather avoid without proving that conventional toilet paper is poisoning its users.

What About PlantPaper's Testing?

PlantPaper says its testing returns non-detect results for hundreds of PFAS compounds and that its product is free of bleach and formaldehyde.[1]

What we haven't reviewed are PlantPaper's underlying laboratory reports.

Its website invites readers to request certain test results, so we contacted the company for supporting documentation, testing methods, detection limits, dates, and laboratory information.

We also asked about two descriptions of its PFAS testing. One PlantPaper page describes testing 28 PFAS compounds, while its current FAQ describes testing more than 300 additional PFAS compounds.[1][10]

There may be a simple explanation, such as an expanded testing program.

Until PlantPaper clarifies it, we'd rather leave the question unanswered than answer it for them.

We'll update this Deep Dive if the company provides additional evidence.

What Does This Mean for You?

The evidence leaves us with two different conclusions.

Environmentally, PlantPaper's case is strong. It moves away from virgin forest fiber and has meaningful independent certification behind its alternative.[2][3]

On chemical exposure, its case is more precautionary. Some substances it discusses really have been detected in household paper products, but available evidence does not establish that conventional toilet paper causes significant systemic harm through ordinary use.[5][6][7]

That doesn't make PlantPaper's material differences meaningless.

It tells us what those differences actually mean.

And Then There's Price

PlantPaper is a premium product.

For some households, reducing virgin forest fiber and avoiding certain substances may justify paying more. Others may prefer a high-recycled-content alternative-or decide their current product is adequate.

There isn't one conclusion every reader needs to reach.

Our job is to make the tradeoffs visible enough that you can reach your own.

Where We Stand

PlantPaper asked consumers to reconsider something extraordinarily ordinary.

After looking into it, we found real substance behind its environmental case and legitimate-but more limited-grounds for its chemical-avoidance case.

One important piece remains unfinished: we're still waiting to review PlantPaper's underlying laboratory documentation.

Until then, this remains an editorial investigation, not a product endorsement.

That's okay.

A Company Deep Dive doesn't exist to tell you what to buy.

It exists to make what was difficult to see easier to understand.

Sources & Bibliography

[1] PlantPaper. (n.d.). FAQ: Questions & answers. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://plantpaper.us/pages/faq

[2] Green Seal. (2026, September 2). Plant Paper becomes first brand to earn Green Seal certification for bamboo toilet paper and facial tissue. https://greenseal.org/press-release/plant-paper-becomes-first-brand-to-earn-green-seal-certification-for-bamboo-toilet-paper-and-facial-tissue/

[3] Jordan, A., Vinyard, S., & Skene, J. (2026, September 15). The issue with tissue eighth edition: Nature, health, and human rights in crisis. Natural Resources Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/resources/issue-tissue Direct PDF: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/2026-09/Issue_w_Tissue_8_R_26-09-C_05_locked.pdf

[4] Jordan, A. (2023, September). The issue with tissue fifth edition. Natural Resources Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/issue-with-tissue-5th-report.pdf

[5] Thompson, J. T., Chen, B., Bowden, J. A., & Townsend, T. G. (2023). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in toilet paper and the impact on wastewater systems. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 10(3), 234–239. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00094

[6] Liao, C., & Kannan, K. (2011). Widespread occurrence of bisphenol A in paper and paper products: Implications for human exposure. Environmental Science & Technology, 45(21), 9372–9379. https://doi.org/10.1021/es202507f

[7] Liao, C., Liu, F., & Kannan, K. (2012). Bisphenol S, a new bisphenol analogue, in paper products and currency bills and its association with bisphenol A residues. Environmental Science & Technology, 46(12), 6515–6522. https://doi.org/10.1021/es300876n

[8] Hua, S. (2019). Physiological and pharmaceutical considerations for rectal drug formulations. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10, Article 1196. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.01196

[9] de Boer, A. G., Moolenaar, F., de Leede, L. G. J., & Breimer, D. D. (1982). Rectal drug administration: Clinical pharmacokinetic considerations. Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 7(4), 285–311. https://doi.org/10.2165/00003088-198207040-00002

[10] PlantPaper. (n.d.). Subscription FAQ. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://plantpaper.us/pages/subscription-faq

Source note: Sources reviewed October 2026. Company pages, information, and claims are subject to change. This article will be updated according to The Good Fruit's correction process.