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LIFE&FAMILY
148
January15
Did you know?
• Standard toilet paper is made from the wood of trees – from wood
pulp, or from recycled paper – in a process that relies on the use of
harsh chemicals.
• Bamboo is a sustainable material, partly because it grows to maturity
in just five years, compared with the 50 to 60 years that a tree takes.
• Growing bamboo does not require the use of pesticides, as the species
tends not to attract insects.
• Tissue paper made from bamboo can be safely used to clean a baby’s
skin, and a woman with sensitive facial skin will find it ideal – yet it is
tougher and more durable than its wood-based equivalents.
Lynn herself has suffered from a sinus
problem and a runny nose since she
was young, so she has always used a
lot of tissues. As a result, her sensitive
skin reacted by becoming painfully dry
and also breaking out in acne on and
around her nose.
While searching together for
something gentler to use on Lynn’s skin,
we did find a US brand that was better;
but it was too expensive. Then, through
a friend, Angela met the producer of a
newly patented, unbleached bamboo
tissue paper, who gave her some of
the finished product to give to Lynn to
try. Lynn was over the moon with how
quickly her skin problems cleared up
– and that’s why we decided to launch
this joint venture.
Unlike mainstream hygiene papers
on the market, CloverSoft products are
unbleached and free of inks, chemicals
and artificial fragrances. Their only
fragrance is a subtle, natural scent of
bamboo.
Why do you feature polar bears
on the packaging?
We wanted our business to make
a meaningful contribution to the
environment by donating a portion of
the profits to a worthwhile cause. This
comes from the heart, because both
of us are passionate animal lovers. We
saw a TV documentary on the sad way
in which global warming is affecting the
habitat of polar bears, and decided that
they would be our first beneficiaries.
It’s also good to know that the bamboo
used for making CloverSoft paper is not
of the kind that pandas eat.
Do you separate your household
garbage?
Yes, each of us has been doing that
for years. We’ve both studied and lived
abroad at different times, and we’ve
been impressed by what has been
achieved in Australia, the UK and the
US. We hope that Singapore will follow
suit and we like to see ourselves as
contributing to making that happen. In
the longer term, we would like to feel
that our product is benefiting not only humans, but also animals and eventually
the total environment.
What did it take to launch this joint venture?
It took us a full year’s work to figure out key areas such as funding, warehousing
and logistics. At this stage, we’re using our own capital, and we’re each invested
50 percent. Working together is working out very well for us, because we have the
same goals and we’re both equally committed – financially and on a personal level.
Where are your tissue papers sold, and how much do they cost?
They became available in Cold Storage in November, they can be ordered at
Redmart.com, and we’re also looking at FairPrice Finest. As for the pricing,
it’s similar to that of mainstream brands such as Kleenex, but the quality and
environmental ethos are more similar to 7th Generation, which is double the price.