Who Gives a Crap expands UK presence with Tesco launch

Who Gives a Crap, the Australian toilet paper brand known for its brightly wrapped rolls and social mission, is stepping up its expansion in the United Kingdom with a move into Tesco stores. The company, which donates 50% of its profits to clean water and sanitation projects, aims to challenge household names such as Andrex, Cushelle, and Little Duck with an ethical alternative.

The brand produces toilet paper from recycled paper and bamboo, packaged in colorful wrappers designed to stand out on bathroom shelves. Co-founder Simon Griffiths said the idea was sparked by a “quarter-second epiphany” during a trip to the bathroom, leading to a mission to link philanthropy with an everyday product. “The reason why we exist is because there’s still 2 billion people without access to adequate sanitation today, globally,” he said.

Since its launch, the company has donated nearly £10 million to initiatives such as eco-friendly waterless toilets in Kenya and school sanitation projects in Timor-Leste. Sales in the UK rose 17% to £45.5 million in 2024, with operating profits more than doubling to £2.8 million, while last year’s donations reached £2.43 million.

 

Who Gives a Crap now operates in 37 countries and plans to double annual donations to A$50 million (£24 million) by 2028. Griffiths envisions the brand eventually appearing “in every supermarket in the UK,” though expansion faces challenges including higher consumer prices, cost-of-living pressures, and U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made goods.

The company’s success, Griffiths acknowledges, owes much to its playful packaging as well as its ethical positioning. “From the outset the plan was to provide a stylish and ethical counterpoint to this sea of white and purple and different colours and pictures of puppies and pillows and feathers and things that were entirely unrelated to toilet paper,” he said.