The Cheeky Panda produces everyday essentials from bamboo – from toilet roll to tissues, straws, wipes, and nappies – and has, for the past seven years, been on a mission to cut carbon emissions, reduce plastic pollution and save trees. This mission is an integral part of every decision the business takes across the value chain, to support its vision to be the leading brand across the household, beauty, and baby category for sustainable disposable products.
“Sustainability and social responsibility have been at the heart of our business since it was founded,” says CEO and Co-Founder Julie Chen. “I am pleased that through our work and initiatives we continue to make positive environmental change and support our communities. Over the past year we have expanded our team, released new products, launched into new territories and achieved B Corp recertification.”
The Cheeky Panda sells its product range in over 30 countries worldwide, and a key statistic for the business is the increase in toilet roll sales from 10.2m toilet rolls in 2021 to 13.2m sold in 2022. This is enough toilet roll to wrap around the world 6.6 times!
B Corp Recertification
The Cheeky Panda is a part of the global community of businesses dedicated to building a better world, and the B Corp badge demonstrates that it meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, and that it’s dedicated to ensuring consistently high standards as it grows.
The Cheeky Panda works only with FSC-certified suppliers, to ensure all the bamboo it uses comes from sustainable sources, grown with care and no fertilisers or pesticides. No de-inking agents or BPA are used in the manufacturing process, and all products are PFAS-free*, as this can be harmful to people and to the planet. The Cheeky Panda also guarantees vegan certification for all products, and cruelty-free certification for its wipes. It has also significantly reduced the amount of plastic in its supply chain: its toilet paper, kitchen towel, straws and facial tissues are 100% plastic free.
“In 2021/22 we offset over 4,000 tonnes of unavoidable carbon from our supply chain in support of our carbon balancing programme,” continues Julie Chen. “Over the next 12 months we will be changing many of the ways we work to better our environmental credentials, including moving to a third-party certified offsetting programme to achieve Carbon Neutrality.
“We wouldn’t be who we are without our dedicated team, and we support them in as many ways as we can. As well as benefits like insurance and gym membership, we offer extras like unlimited toilet paper and snacks. We are also part of the living wage foundation to ensure that all employees, no matter what their role, receive a wage that supports their everyday needs.”
In 2022 the business recertified as a B Corp with a score of 87.2. “We are proud to have recertified, but the transition from start-up to scale-up has highlighted areas we need to work on,” says Julie. “For 2025 recertification we’re committing to a score of 100+. We’re developing new policies, moving more production to the UK and implementing more detailed carbon reporting. We are excited to see what we can achieve over the next three years.”
The Cheeky Panda has also been working with communities, both internationally and locally, to support charities and foodbanks to navigate this difficult period, from community clean ups to foodbank donations, and beyond. The business recently supported The Sun’s Bank on Us campaign, donating over £3,000 worth of baby wipes and nappies to baby banks around the UK.
Sustainable Development Goals
The business has also identified four Sustainable Development Goals that resonate:
- Responsible sourcing and production
As The Cheeky Panda continues to reduce its carbon footprint, production is moving from China to the UK. The first UK-manufactured product was launched at the beginning of 2023, with more in the pipeline. For products still being manufactured in China, it has reduced carbon footprint in the UK by moving from road to rail transporting product from dock to warehouse
- Climate Action
The Cheeky Panda offsets its unavoidable emissions using a carbon balancing programme. Looking to the future it plans to obtain third-party certification to achieve carbon neutrality while identifying ways to lower impact, such as the move to UK manufacturing
- Life below water
Wet wipes are a leading cause of plastic pollution in oceans, and all The Cheeky Panda wipes are microplastic free. Unlike traditional tree felling, harvesting bamboo doesn’t result in water runoff, as the roots and base of the bamboo remain intact
- Life on land
All The Cheeky Panda products are FSC-certified by an independent third party, which means it only sources bamboo from responsibly managed forests, and never uses the type of bamboo that pandas like to eat!
“While people now know how our loo roll is made, transparency is key. We aim to lead by example, and that is why all our bamboo is independently audited by our certification body according to the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Standards,” explains Julie. “We are proud that all our products are FSC-certified, and as we grow it remains a top priority to ensure all our products meet the criteria for sustainable forest management, because without sustainable bamboo forests none of this would be possible.
“We work with so many partners – material suppliers, manufacturers, logistics partners and warehouses – and we carefully select who is to be a part of our value chain based on their commitments to sustainability and providing a top-quality service to our customers. Third-party verification is very important to us and that’s why we ensure our manufacturers are independently audited to ensure they adhere to our standards.
“Our manufacturers must undertake a full audit which covers working hours, protection of the environment and fair remuneration, among others. Some of the certifications our partners hold include ISO14001, ISO19001 and ISO45001, and all must adhere to our Modern Slavery Policy.
“It’s been an exciting year, but there is still progress to be made. I am proud of what we have achieved over the past year, and I am even more excited by the prospect of our future.”