Month: November 2025

New York, NY, November 3, 2025 – Following a challenge from the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division recommended that Plant Paper Inc. discontinue or modify certain comparative health and environmental claims for its bamboo toilet and facial tissues.

AF&PA members and Plant Paper compete in the tissue paper industry, selling toilet paper and facial tissue products. AF&PA challenged claims made on Plant Paper’s website and social media posts, including those featuring actress Alicia Silverstone claiming “conventional tree” toilet paper contains harmful chemicals while using highly inflammatory language to assert that competing traditional paper products are toxic and harmful to health.

Toxic Chemicals Health Claims

AF&PA argued that Plant Paper makes broad, unsubstantiated superiority claims that disparage conventional toilet tissue products. For example, in a TikTok video, Plant Paper claims without qualification that conventional toilet paper use has been linked to increased risk of “urinary tract infections, vulvar irritation, and hemorrhoids.”

NAD found that the challenged advertising conveys a disparaging message, suggesting that “conventional tree paper” products made by AF&PA’s membership contain “toxic” and “nasty” chemicals, including bleach, formaldehyde, and PFAS, and that these chemicals cause serious health problems.

Although Plant Paper presented testing showing its own products contain no bleach, PFAS, or formaldehyde and cited studies showing formaldehyde and PFAS can be detected in conventional paper, and that bleaching produces dioxins, NAD found that Plant Paper did not provide reliable, product-specific, data demonstrating that most or all conventional tissue brands contain formaldehyde or PFAS.

Therefore, NAD found that the challenged broad, unqualified comparative claims are not substantiated and recommended that the claims, along with other related express health claims, be discontinued.

Nothing in this decision prohibits Plant Paper from highlighting that its products are free of PFAS and formaldehyde and are unbleached.

Environmental Claims

AF&PA also challenged implied claims it argued convey the misleading message that (1) Plant Paper is made in a way that does not entail any “toxic” chemicals, while conventional tree tissues are made with intentionally added toxic chemicals, and (2) as a result, Plant Paper products are better for human health and the environment. AF&PA also argued that Plant Paper’s advertising conveys the message that its manufacturing process is better for the environment and less destructive than competing “tree paper” products.

NAD found that Plant Paper’s evidence describes the environmental advantages of bamboo harvesting generally, such as lower carbon impacts on the environment; however, NAD determined that such evidence was not a good fit for Plant Paper’s environmental superiority claims that convey the message that conventional tree product manufacturing is harmful to the environment.

NAD therefore recommended that Plant Paper modify its advertising to avoid conveying that (1) Plant Paper is made in a way that does not entail any “toxic” chemicals, while conventional tree tissues are made with intentionally added toxic chemicals; (2) as a result, Plant Paper products are better for human health and the environment; and (3) Plant Paper’s manufacturing process is better for the environment and less destructive than competing “tree paper” products.

During the proceeding, Plant Paper voluntarily discontinued certain toilet paper claims. Therefore, NAD did not review the claims on their merits and will treat the discontinued claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be discontinued.

In its advertiser statement, Plant Paper stated it “will comply with NAD’s decision” but “respectfully disagrees with NAD’s finding that there was not enough evidence to show the comparative harms of competitor toilet paper products.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, this release may not be used for promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than 20 globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create fair competition for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and create fair competition for business.