Beci Orpin Gives A Crap

Design - by Open Journal

Who Gives A Crap is the sustainable toilet paper company that contributes 50% of all profits to building toilets across the developing world. Instantly recognisable by the distinctive graphic packaging, Who Gives A Crap is looking to a variety of different artists to produce a a series of limited edition wrappers. Aiming for three collaborations a year, Beci Orpin was the natural choice for collaboration number one.

Since being established in 2012, Who Gives A Crap has continually challenged perceptions around toilet paper, transforming a formerly unglamorous and utilitarian product with its beautifully designed, environmentally friendly and ethical offering.

For Who Gives A Crap Founder, Simon Griffiths, toilet paper was the conversation starter for one of the globes most significant health crises. “We love toilet paper, but we exist because roughly 2.5 billion people don’t have access to an adequate toilet. Every roll that we sell provides someone with access to a toilet for one week,” Griffiths says. Diseases relating to poor sanitation is the second largest killed of children under 5, yet the public attention lacks focus. It’s no surprise that toilets are not a sexy topic to talk about. From a 2012 crowd funding campaign, Who Gives A Crap raised $50,000, achieved in most part by Griffiths sitting on a toilet for 50 hours, live streamed online to build awareness.

By the end of June 2015, sales of the product had raised enough money to give over 69,380 people access to a toilet for a whole year.

“WaterAid tell us that for every one dollar invested in sanitation, we see an eight dollar increase in economic productivity due to improved health, higher productivity and higher school attendance rates, especially for teenage girls,” says Griffiths.

The paper packaging is produced responsibility in China, it’s counter intuitive, but the environmental footprint of shipping the paper to Australia is 10 times more sustainable than transporting overland within Australia.

What happens to the paper after use is of great consideration. Orpin’s designs promote a craft afterlife beyond packaging toilet paper. Encouraged to be repurposed for chatter boxes, dress up glasses and mobiles, the packaging and toilet roll can be used again and again, making it significantly more sustainable than any other form of packaging.

Currently only available to buy in Australia, Griffiths is exploring the avenues for increased scope, researching and testing the impact of expanding the papers’ distribution to other markets over the next six months.