PRICE  HKD 20 per pack (10 rolls)

WHERE TO BUY   Salvation Army Family Store   (Only certain branches have them in stock, please call and check before you go shopping)

PRODUCT RATING Great value for the money.  FSC Mix label, ISO 9001, ISO14001

GREEN RATING Quite Green.

While most of the toilet paper brands available for sale at supermarkets in Hong Kong still proudly annouce that they are made from 100% virgin pulp, Kimberly Clark toilet paper stands out as the only brand there with a FSC Mix label, selling for HKD 37-38 per pack.  Recently, I discovered that Salvation Family Store started selling its house brand of 100% bamboo tissue paper, also bearing the FSC Mix label, of comparable quality, but at a much cheaper price (HKD 20 per pack).

According to the info on FCS official website, the FSC Mix label means the wood within the product is from FSC-certified material, recycled material, or controlled wood. While not fully FSC-certified, controlled wood cannot be:
illegally harvested;
harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights;
harvested in forests where high conservation values (HCVs) are threatened;
harvested in forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use;
harvested in forests where genetically modified trees are planted.

On its package the followings are listed as the selling points of bamboo tissue:  naturally anti-bacterial,  growing much faster than trees (50 times), less land use but more harvest than trees, no need to use pesticide or chemical fertiliser, absorbs 35% more CO2 and releases 35% more oxygen than trees, and most important of all…to panda lovers at least…it is not made of the type of bamboo which pandas like to eat.

I wondered if the first claim, namely, bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial is based on science, therefore I tried to google for an answer.  Most of the search results are merely assertion that it is, except a paper published in the Journal of the Textile Institute entitled “The origin of the antibacterial property of bamboo” which reports its study result demonstrating otherwise. I also found the website of the Mistra Future Fashion research program which explains the questions concerning bamboo-fibers’ anti-bacterial quality in a way that layman like me can comprehend. 

The bamboo tree actually contains anti-bacterial substances as the tree trunk uses it in order to protect itself against insect attacks and fungus. This means that bamboo can be grown without the use of pesticides, which together with other factors such as fast growing rate and low water consumption makes it a sustainable raw material for textiles. However, the anti-bacterial elements in the trunk do not get transferred to the fibers used in textile manufacturing. 

I will verify those other selling points when I have time.  For the time being, I am very happy to recommend this product based on its FSC Mix label and its good price.  I always enjoy shopping for pre-owned clothing and other donated items from the Salvation Army Family Store.  And now there is one more reason for me to go there more often.