Power of paper profits

There was a time in our not too distant past before we collectively became bakers of sourdough bread when toilet paper was the most sought-after commodity in the nation. And as we write this story in late June, toilet paper sales are again on the rise.

- JULIA NEWBOULD

During the first wave of Covid-19, subscription toilet paper company Who Gives A Crap found its website overwhelmed with requests from new customers as it struggled to meet the increase in demand. The socially conscious company has now been around for eight years, with the founders still hands-on and driving the new global business.

The Who Gives A Crap story began when the three founders – Simon Griffiths, Danny Alexander and Jehan Ratnatunga – realised that 2.5 billion people didn’t have access to a toilet.

There are health benefits in, first of all, having a toilet and then making sure waste that should go into the sewer is not polluting clean water.

“Globally, unclean water is the second largest killer of kids under five,” says Griffiths.

The founders ensured their business plan was underpinned by the social impact of the company – and that commitment turned into donating 50% of profits to building toilets for those in need. The business model also included all products being made in an environmentally friendly way.

Money versus happiness

Griffiths figured out early in his career that he was most miserable working in his highest paid job.

“I was 21 and had enough experience to figure out that money and happiness were not correlated, so the focus became, ‘Why am I less happy in this job than other jobs?’ And it was because I was not able to unlock my full potential – I wasn’t really passionate about what I was working on. If I’m going to optimise work for happiness, it’s to work on problems that I care about,” he says.