by Gillian Ching (
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I'm a freelance writer living in Brisbane who loves exploring quirky places with my dog. Join me on my quest to find, experience, and share fun things to do and interesting places to go.Please subscribe if you enjoy the articles.
What?
I looked and then looked again to check that I wasn't mistaken. Yep, I was right. I had spotted a single toilet roll on the shelf of a local home décor and garden shop with the audacious and comical name of "
Who Gives A Crap".
It's a bit cheeky, and a bit naughty but behind this frivolous, attention grabbing title lies a product with serious intent.
Who Gives A Crap is an ethical toilet paper which is 100% bio-degradable and free of chlorine, inks, dyes or scents.
The newest bathroom accessory
It all began in Melbourne in July 2012 when Simon Griffiths, Danny Alexander and Jehan Ratnatunga discovered at the time that 2.4 billion people (roughly 40% of the world's population) didn't have access to a toilet. So they decided to make a change in the world and start a $50 000 crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo (with Griffiths sitting on a toilet for 51 hours). Before long, they were on a roll and Who Gives A Crap went into production and found its way into Australian bathrooms.
By 2014/15 they had sold nearly 3 million rolls of toilet paper.
Simon Griffiths Photo courtesy of the Australian Financial Review
50% of the profits from the sale of the Who Gives a Crap toilet paper goes towards building toilets and improving sanitation in the developing world. Every roll of Who Gives A Crap is, on average, able to help provide someone with access to a toilet for one week. The owners say that through this social enterprise "
We're taking a product that everyone needs and using it to help people in need."
Who Gives A Craps' rolls are manufactured in China. Individual toilet rolls are available for sale at The Soul Pantry at Stafford or boxes can be purchased online at au.whogivesacrap.org and delivered to you. The challenge for me will be keeping my pup away from it and the temptation to roll, chew and unravel it across the bathroom floor. Ah, joy.
