greenspecs
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Paper products: what the labels actually prove
For paper the whole story is fibre and bleaching: post-consumer recycled content or bamboo beats virgin pulp, FSC tells you the forest was audited, and PCF or TCF tells you chlorine stayed out of the process.
- Paper products graded
- 49
- Brands covered
- 26
- Median GreenSpecs score
- 67/100
- Grade A or B
- 39 of 49
- Highest scoring
- Who Gives A Crap 100% Recycled Double Length Toilet Paper 8 Rolls — A 80/100
- Assessments updated
- 28 July 2026
Source: GreenSpecs label assessments, 28 July 2026. Figures cover the 49 paper products items graded to date, one entry per product.
Where this number comes from. GreenSpecs scores the evidence a product puts in front of you: the wording of the claim, what the packaging discloses, and whether an independent certifier stands behind any of it. Each score is a GreenSpecs assessment generated by our scoring model from the product label and public claim text on the date shown. It is not a laboratory test, not a lifecycle assessment, and not a safety rating. The full method is published here.
How do paper products compare on GreenSpecs?
39 of 49 graded paper products reach a B or better, and the median score is 67 out of 100. The table below is every one we have assessed, strongest first.
| Product | Brand | Grade | Score | What the label proves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who Gives A Crap 100% Recycled Double Length Toilet Paper 8 Rolls | Who Gives A Crap | A | 80/100 | The full package. Leading the category on every front. |
| Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Paper Napkins | Seventh Generation | A | 78/100 | Recycled content is strong. Packaging is the next step. |
| If You Care Paper Snack and Sandwich Bags | If You Care | A | 78/100 | Solid paper choice. Reusables are the next step. |
| Who Gives A Crap 100% Recycled Double Length Toilet Paper Rolls, 330 CT | Who Gives A Crap | A- | 77/100 | This is the one you grab and move on. |
| If You Care Reusable Paper Towels | If You Care | A- | 77/100 | A genuine step up. Certified compostable and reusable. |
| Seventh Generation Unbleached 100% Recycled Paper Towels | Seventh Generation | A- | 75/100 | Recycled content is real. Supply chain transparency is still developing. |
| Reel 100% Bamboo Paper Towels | Reel | A- | 75/100 | Bamboo is a real step forward. Packaging could go further. |
| Toilet Paper | Bim Bam Boo | B+ | 70/100 | A strong step forward. Packaging is leading the way. |
| Bounty Advanced Paper Towels | Bounty | B+ | 70/100 | FSC certified for forests. Packaging is still conventional. |
| Bim Bam Boo 100% Bamboo Bath Tissue | Bim Bam Boo | B+ | 70/100 | Bamboo fiber, plastic-free. Transparency is next. |
| World Centric Home Compostable Dinner Napkins | World Centric | B+ | 68/100 | Unbleached is good. Compostability needs more context. |
| Repurpose. Ultra Soft Bamboo Toilet Paper | Repurpose. | B+ | 68/100 | Bamboo fiber, plastic-free packaging — a strong step. |
| Open Nature Paper Towels - 3 RL | Open Nature | B+ | 68/100 | Recycled content is good. More detail on sourcing is next. |
| Matter Compostable 9" Plates | Matter | B+ | 68/100 | Certified compostable. Still a disposable item. |
| Marcal 100% Recycled Paper Towels | Marcal | B+ | 68/100 | A solid recycled option. Packaging is the next step. |
| Marcal 100% Recycled Luncheon Napkins | Marcal | B+ | 68/100 | Recycled content is good. Broader impact is still developing. |
| Kirkland Signature Napkins | Kirkland Signature | B+ | 68/100 | Certified sourcing, conventional packaging. A solid step. |
| IBamboo Bamboo Everyday Napkins | IBamboo | B+ | 68/100 | Bamboo is better. Certifications are still developing. |
| Caboo Tree Free Paper Towels | Caboo | B+ | 68/100 | Bamboo is a real step up. Packaging could go further. |
| Caboo Bamboo Paper Towels, 8 Rolls | Caboo | B+ | 68/100 | Bamboo is a real step up. Certifications could go deeper. |
| bim bam boo Tree-Saving Toilet Paper | bim bam boo | B+ | 68/100 | Bamboo fiber is a real win. Certifications are the next step. |
| Bim Bam Boo Bamboo Toilet Paper 2 Ply - Sustainable Toilet Tissue - 8 Double Rolls, 320 Sheets Per Roll - Septic Safe - Plastic Free | Bim Bam Boo | B+ | 68/100 | Bamboo fiber, plastic-free. Transparency is the next step. |
| V46 Verify Bamboo Toilet Paper | V46 Verify | B+ | 67/100 | A strong fiber choice. Packaging is the next step. |
| Seventh Generation Unbleached Paper Towels | Seventh Generation | B+ | 67/100 | A solid recycled option. Packaging is still the next step. |
| Caboo Tree Free TP | Caboo | B+ | 67/100 | A strong tree-free option. Transparency is the next step. |
| Caboo Tree Free Toilet Paper | Caboo | B+ | 67/100 | A solid tree-free choice. Packaging is the next step. |
| betterway 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper 12 Pack | betterway | B+ | 67/100 | A strong fiber choice, with plastic-free packaging. |
| Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bath Tissue | Seventh Generation | B | 65/100 | A solid recycled option. Still using plastic wrap. |
| Staples 100% Recycled Copy Paper | Staples | B | 63/100 | A solid recycled choice. Look for PCF bleaching next. |
| Vanity Fair Entertain White Paper Napkins | Vanity Fair | B- | 58/100 | Forestry certified. Still conventional for paper products. |
| Open Nature Paper Towels | Open Nature | B- | 58/100 | Recycled content is a start. More detail is still needed. |
| Open Nature Bathroom Tissue | Open Nature | B- | 58/100 | A good step. Plastic-free is the next frontier. |
| NatureZway Bamboo Napkin 180ct | NatureZway | B- | 58/100 | Bamboo is better. Details on sourcing are still missing. |
| Kirkland Signature Premium Paper Towels | Kirkland Signature | B- | 58/100 | SFI certification is good. Packaging is still conventional. |
| Cloud Paper Paper Towels | Cloud Paper | B- | 58/100 | Bamboo is better. Still room to grow on packaging and transparency. |
| Reel Sustainable Bamboo Paper Towels | Reel | B- | 55/100 | Bamboo fiber is a real step. Certifications are the next frontier. |
| Bounty Advanced Paper Towels, 2-Ply, 103-Sheets, 12-count | Bounty | B- | 55/100 | FSC is a start. Recycled content is still missing. |
| betterway 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper | betterway | B- | 55/100 | Bamboo fiber, plastic-free. Certs and transparency still developing. |
| 365 Whole Foods Market 100% Recycled Bath Tissue | 365 Whole Foods Market | B- | 55/100 | A solid recycled option. Plastic wrap is the next frontier. |
| Staples 30% Recycled Copy Paper | Staples | C+ | 53/100 | A good start with recycled fiber. More is possible! |
| Cadia Everyday 100% Recycled Bath Tissue | Cadia | C+ | 52/100 | A good start with recycled fiber. Certifications are the next step. |
| Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong Toilet Paper | Quilted Northern | C | 46/100 | FSC certified fiber, conventional plastic wrap. |
| Kirkland Signature Premium Towel | Kirkland Signature | C | 46/100 | Conventional fiber, but compostable. Packaging is the next step. |
| Cottonelle Ultra Clean Toilet Paper | Cottonelle | C- | 40/100 | Conventional for now. FSC is a good start. |
| Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Toilet Paper | Cottonelle | C- | 38/100 | FSC-certified virgin fiber, conventional packaging. |
| Viva Signature Cloth Paper Towels | Viva | D+ | 35/100 | Conventional paper towels. No visible sustainability efforts. |
| Bounty Napkins | Bounty | D+ | 35/100 | Conventional for now. No clear sustainability claims. |
| Vanity Fair Everyday Napkin, 2-Ply, 110-count, 6-pack | Vanity Fair | D+ | 30/100 | Conventional for now. Room to grow. |
| Kleenex Brand Tissue | Kleenex | D+ | 30/100 | Conventional for now — a better one's out there. |
What separates a strong paper product label from a weak one?
For paper the whole story is fibre and bleaching: post-consumer recycled content or bamboo beats virgin pulp, FSC tells you the forest was audited, and PCF or TCF tells you chlorine stayed out of the process. A claim scores well here when it is specific, when the packaging discloses enough to check it, and when an independent body has verified it. It scores badly when it is a mood rather than a measurement.
Brands graded in this category
Standing in this aisle right now? Scan the label and see the inside story before it goes in the trolley.