One of the surprising things we learnt throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was the value of toilet paper.
Panic buying led to widespread shortages of toilet paper across supermarkets around the country, and left many of us with a newfound respect for this humble home product.
However, many everyday consumers are unaware of the huge environmental impacts of toilet paper, which wipes out approximately 27,000 trees around the world per day.
How We Roll, an eco-friendly and sustainable toilet paper company, is aiming to change that – and they’re doing it with flair.
How We Roll is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to supermarket-brand toilet paper. Image: How We Roll Co.
How it all began
How We Roll Co is an Australian-owned and operated business which launched in 2020, offering an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to supermarket-brand toilet paper. Huayi Huang and Georgia Wright (the duo behind online fashion store PepperMayo) created How We Roll out of a desire to help the environment by making simple changes.
“We wanted to provide a one-stop online shop to get basic daily essentials – like toilet paper, tissues and garbage bags – but we also wanted to make them eco-friendly,” Huayi says. Their toilet paper, paper towels and tissues and bin bags are 100 percent recycled, plastic-free and biodegradable, and use bamboo instead of trees.
With the tagline “eco essentials for the environmentally curious,” their aim is to help reduce single-use plastics and paper waste in our daily routines, and to give back to the planet and community.
How We Roll also operates on a subscription service, delivering your order to your door when you need it to make purchasing eco-friendly options easier and more accessible.
It is a low-impact alternative to paper – as well as being incredibly soft on your behind!
Why bamboo?
Bamboo is a super fast growing, renewable resource that requires less water to grow than trees, doesn’t require pesticides or chemicals, is drought-resistant and harvested by hand from the base so they don’t need to be replanted. It is a low-impact alternative to paper – as well as being incredibly soft on your behind!
Each roll comes wrapped in recycled paper with eye-catching designs, revamping otherwise boring household staples.
“We wanted to let people know that just because it’s good for the planet, doesn’t mean it has to be dull,” says Huayi.
For every $100 spent at How We Roll, a tree is planted through One Tree Planted Org.
Planting trees
How We Roll partner with One Tree Planted, a non-profit environmental organisation that focuses on global reforestation. For every $100 spent at How We Roll, a tree is planted through One Tree Planted Org.
Currently, How We Roll have planted 13,203 trees and are contributing to the planting of trees in areas affected by the devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires – which resulted in a loss of 5.5 million hectares of bushland.
“It’s nice to be able to give something back, especially planting the trees in bushfire affected regions,” says Georgia.
How We Roll collaborates with local artists, such as Rachael Sarra. Image: How We Roll Co.
Artist collaborations
How We Roll also collaborates with local artists to create unique eco products that not only look great, but also support the creative industry and community charities.
Their recent range involves a limited edition collaboration with Goreng Goreng artist Rachael Sarra, whose vibrant creative practice is driven by a belief that art and design are vital to communication, connection and culture.
Purchasing rolls from this collaboration will also donate to the Bridging the Gap Foundation. BTG Foundation aims to improve and advance the lives of Indigenous Australians by raising funds to address the 10-year gap in average life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
How We Roll has expanded into other eco-conscious household staples. Image: How We Roll Co.
What’s next for How We Roll?
Since they began in 2020, the company had goals of extending their product line and becoming a one-stop shop for plastic-free household essentials.
They now currently partner with eco-conscious brands (like Minor Figures and Tom Organic) to provide vegan, responsibly sourced and organic pantry goods, household essentials, natural personal care products and even pet care products.
A small change like substituting supermarket products for sustainable, plastic-free options can make a big difference to the environment. That’s how we all should roll.
Want to learn more about other eco-conscious Aussie brands? Check out Munch Cupboard.