Sacha Konijn, winner of the Trends & Innovation blog

"The company crosses all the boxes of the Public Goods trend, which will make it an accessible and above all interesting investment for the hospitality industry. Let's work together on this trend and make it happen so that we can make the world a little bit better."

Sacha: “I had to write three blogs for school about different trends in combination with hospitality, and suddenly had an idea. I remembered an old friend of mine had helped set up a business that promotes sustainable toilet paper and the construction of toilets in developing regions. It's a transparent company that reveals all its figures, financial data and goals. This was the perfect way to integrate the Public Goods trend into my blog. It is a company that follows the trends and displays toilet paper in a fun way with fancy packaging. Their online actions and active attitude on social media make it also an interactive and open company.

A blog about toilet paper might not seem that interesting. I figured a catchy title would make all the difference. Maybe it's a bit too catchy, but at least it attracts attention! Besides, everyone needs toilet paper, also in the hotel business."

With her blog, Sacha has won a stay at Black Label Hotels!
Read her blog below. 

Wipe sh*t off, with goodness

Have you ever heard of toilet paper that is socially responsible, 100% tree-friendly, recycled, sustainable, safe, clean, without chlorine, colouring agents or fragrances and builds new toilets? It almost sounds as if it is not true, but it is with The Good Roll.

This environmentally friendly wiping paper is new and unique. The company uses 50% of its net profit to build safe and clean toilets in various developing countries in Africa. They were inspired by a great shortage of access to toilets and the felling of forests for production. They are also committed to a socially responsible approach by working with social enterprises for a part of the packaging process. By doing so, they ensure that they work on various Sustainable Development Goals, such as goal 6 ‘Clean water and sanitation', goal 12 ‘Responsible consumption and production’ and goal 13 ‘Climate action’.

Since the business communicates openly about financial matters they respond to the Public Goods trend. It is mentioned that the overhead costs are fixed to a maximum of 30%. If these costs become higher than 20%, the extra costs are deducted from the profit share so that this does not have a negative impact on the foundation. The financial figures are filed each financial year and the impact meter shows the status of toilet construction, mission and ongoing projects.

Potential for the hospitality industry

The sale of this paper does not only provide a solution to many problems, it also creates a good footprint and therefore a good image and goodwill for businesses. Clearly, there is business potential here, because what more could you want? The hospitality industry can easily use The Good Roll as a toilet paper provider, so the whole sector makes a good contribution to the mission. The company's open communication with all the ongoing processes and the corresponding internal culture ensures that they receive much recognition, as do the affiliated companies. For a hotel, for example, it would therefore be a unique opportunity to join. Normal toilet paper may be a little cheaper but it doesn't have the goodness of The Good Roll.

Then there is also the transparency of their website which shows who the employees are and what position they occupy. The cheerful and pro-active marketing through open communication ensures familiarity and recognition, which makes the products and mission even more attractive.

How extraordinary that a company displays everything about their working methods and processes and that it is actually very easy to join in. All it takes is cooperation, commitment and attention.

In short, the company crosses all the boxes of the Public Goods trend, which will make it an accessible and above all interesting investment for the hospitality industry. Let's work together on this trend and make it happen so that we can make the world a little bit better. What more could you want than to go to the toilet with a good feeling!