Launched in 2020, Serious Tissues, is making a splash with its mission to clean up the climate crisis through an unlikely hero, loo roll. Serious by name and serious by nature, the brand has created the UK’s first carbon neutral toilet paper.

Created by the brains behind Change Please and Old Spike Roastery, social enterprises tackling homelessness through coffee, it’s no surprise the group’s latest venture is also committed to making positive change. Chris Baker, co-founder of Serious Tissues, commented:

_‘It’s estimated that 10 million trees are cut down each year for toilet paper, and we think that’s 10 million too many. Considering how important trees are in the fight against climate change, we need to plant more, not cut them down. So, we launched Serious Tissues to try and change that number.’ _

Serious Tissues toilet roll is made in the UK using 100% recycled paper, meaning no trees are cut down and the carbon footprint of each roll is much lower than alternatives. Chris explains:

_‘When we began our research, we noticed that a lot of sustainable paper brands still involve a significant amount of travel. For example, using bamboo from China or shipping internationally. We wanted to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible, that’s why we decided to source, create and distribute our toilet paper in the UK, just outside Manchester to be specific.' _

Simply reducing the number of trees cut down isn’t enough for this ambitious brand, Serious Tissues is going one step further and planting one tree for every roll of paper sold. In the last 12 months, the company has planted over 750,000 trees around the world through their partners, including Eden Reforestation Projects. ‘As well as combatting the effects of climate change,’ Chris continues ‘reforestation helps to support local communities where the planting takes place, we work on projects all over the world including Indonesia, Mozambique, and Madagascar restoring habitats previously lost due to deforestation. And as of 2022 we’ll also be working on reforestation projects in the Brazilian Amazon too.

_‘We are meticulous when it comes to our planting partners, it’s not enough to just plant a tree, when we’re reforesting, we have a responsibility to the ecosystem to plant a sustainable and diverse forest with 20-39 species in every project all native to that environment.’ _

The movement is gathering serious momentum with the brand now planting 12,000 trees a week, which is the equivalent of three Hyde Parks. As well as partnering with the Eden Reforestation Projects, Serious Tissues have just announced they are a Founding Partner of The Queen’s Green Canopy along with the Tree Council. The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique tree planting initiative encouraging people across the UK to ‘Plant a tree for the Jubilee’ in honour of the Queen’s historic 70 years of service to the nation.

Through impressive efforts to reduce and offset its carbon footprint, Serious Tissues has become the UK’s first carbon neutral toilet paper, meaning overall, it does not add any additional carbon to the atmosphere. The brand’s operations are entirely carbon neutral meaning that the tree planting is an additionality to its carbon neutral status. As a result, using Serious Tissues actively helps to fight climate change. Every box is also completely plastic free, even down to the packaging tape.

The team identified toilet paper as an opportunity for people to make a small change and create a big difference. Chris continued: ‘Loo roll is the epitome of an everyday, common place product. Most of us don’t even think about it, unless we run out of course. But we use so much of it that switching from a standard brand to a sustainable option has a massive, positive impact. By using Serious Tissues, people can save the world from their toilet seats’

‘We’re a serious company with a simple idea, if you want to change the world, change where you spend your money. We’re looking to create a range of household products that not only don’t make some of the world’s biggest problems worse but actually try and solve them.’

Serious Tissues rolls are available to purchase in boxes of 36 from the Serious Tissues website starting at £27.00 when on subscription, the brand also offers a range of products for businesses.

www.serioustissues.com