We spend five minutes with Leila Francis Coleman, co-founder of Naked Paper, to discover how its beige eco paper products are as green as they come
Morning, Leila, tell us about Naked Paper
We produce eco-conscious, sustainable unbleached toilet paper, kitchen roll and tissues. We offer
bamboo options as well as products made from recycled cardboard. All with a natural beige colour – not because we dye it but because we skip the unnecessary process of bleaching it.
That sounds fantastic, how did that come about?
The seed for Naked Paper was planted when my husband Tom and I were holidaying in France. We kept spotting pink toilet paper in different guesthouses. At first we just laughed and agreed that toilet paper didn’t need to be dyed pink, but it got us thinking; most tissue products in the UK are bleached white, which is just as unnatural. We thought, why not try something different? So, in 2020, we got going with some unbleached loo roll and a space in a shared warehouse.
What a huge leap of faith
It was. Fortunately our bleach-free rolls took off and in 2021 we were able to move to our current factory, where all our products are made with 100% renewable energy, no fossil fuels at all. The factory meets its energy needs using local biofuels, as well as wind and water power. We also have 8,000 solar panels soaking up the sun all year around.
You clearly love the industry
It’s funny, people expect you to say that you have a specific passion for toilet paper. We can’t really say we do, but after five years, we’ve developed a real passion for the details of how things are made. A huge amount of potential opens up when you understand the story of your raw materials, energy, and transport and think about doing more with less.
What highlights have stood out recently?
Last year, Naked Paper won the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, which was absolutely incredible. You don’t necessarily expect to receive an invitation to Windsor Castle
when you’re making beige loo roll, so we were completely bowled over to win this.
What an honour
Absolutely, the team were thrilled. It was a huge boost to know that all of the hard work we put into improving how we do things – from moving to electric rail freight instead of diesel lorries and collecting our recycled cardboard boxes from supermarkets local to our factory – had been seen and recognised. Our customers were really happy for us as well which was lovely.
That’s amazing. You must have some exciting plans on the horizon
Yes! This year, our focus is on spreading the Naked Paper word and growing awareness; it’s surprising
how many people don’t realise that standard white toilet paper is only that colour because it’s been through a chemical bleaching process. Our biggest goal is to reach a place where unbleached toilet
paper feels like the norm, like the natural choice, and bleached products are the oddity. We want to
make that switch as easy as possible, which is why we offer a no-quibble money-back guarantee; it’s important to us that our customers feel as confident in the product as we do. We’re also supplying more businesses, so you’ll start to see Naked Paper popping up more when you’re out and about, at cafés, hotels, or anywhere where there’s a loo!
Reader offer
Get 20% off your first order with code SIMPLETHINGS. Offer valid until 31 July 26, for new customers only. Verify Naked Paper’s green credentials at: nakedpaper.com/green-creds.
For more info, visit: uk.nakedpaper.com or follow on Instagram at: @naked_paper
