Reel

Tree-free, 100% bamboo toilet paper and paper towels for reel global change.

About Reel

REEL redesigns a classic product meant to clean up messes. Yup, we’re talking about toilet paper and paper towels. REEL’s 100% bamboo tree-free paper products are designed to be better for you and the environment. Not only are they made out of bamboo, a sustainable material, but they are also free of ink, dyes, and BPAs.

Why We Love Them

REEL estimates that the average American goes through 384 trees worth of toilet paper in a lifetime. The “tree-to-toilet” pipeline is devastating: 27,000 trees are sent to a landfill everyday. By switching out your average paper products for REEL’s bamboo products, you are making a better choice for the environment. REEL’s products also come in zero-plastic packaging. Subscriptions are available online; one box of toilet paper contains 24 rolls while one box of paper towels contains 12 rolls.

Origin Story

REEL was founded by Livio Bisterzo and Derin Oyekan in 2019. Oyekan grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and witnessed firsthand the hardships and health risks resulting from a lack of access to household sanitation services like toilets and running water. Livio Bisterzo, who started his first company in 2003, was eager to create a product that could change people’s lives. Once Bisterzo and Oyekan teamed up, there was no turning back. They embarked on their mission to create a brand that gives people access to basic sanitation needs and improves the quality of life for people across the planet. REEL has already sold over 3 million rolls of toilet paper, and their subscription has been adopted by thousands. They’re changing the planet, one roll at a time.

The TL;DR

  • Sustainable toilet paper and paper towels made from bamboo, a highly renewable and sustainable resource
  • Zero-plastic packaging
  • Advocates for universal access to household sanitation services by partnering with SOIL, a non-profit providing vulnerable communities in Haiti with access to toilets

The Science & The Soul

The Science

It’s all about the bamboo, baby. Bamboo, a renewal resource, is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. It can grow up to 3ft in 24 hours, and can be harvested once a year without replanting. Bamboo consumes 30% less water than hardwood trees, but gives out 35% more oxygen and is excellent at absorbing greenhouse gases like CO2. Bamboo also easily breaks down in water, unlike regular toilet paper which breaks down slower and can clog pipes.

REEL sources its bamboo from Southwestern China. Once the bamboo stalks are harvested, REEL takes the paper rolls to a facility to break them down into chips. The chips are then boiled down into a pulp using chlorine-free bleach, which is then pressed into actual paper and combined into rolls. Plus, you can sign up to have rolls of paper towels and toilet paper delivered to your door on your schedule so that you never run out.

The Soul

REEL is committed to having a positive impact on the environment and in peoples’ lives. Approximately 2.4 billion people are forced to defecate outside, which means exposure to deadly pathogens and increased likelihood of contamination. For every box of REEL paper purchased, REEL helps fund access to clean toilets for those in need through its partnership with SOIL, a non-profit that gives Haiti’s vulnerable communities access to lifesaving household sanitation services.