Environmental Groups Launch Campaign Against Charmin's Forest Destruction Practices

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 16, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Procter & Gamble, the parent company behind Charmin, faces growing criticism after environmental groups launched a new advertising campaign to highlight the company's alleged destruction of Canada's boreal forests. The campaign, titled "Charmin Wipes Out Bears" and "Charmin Wipes Out Forests," aims to alert consumers to the company's use of virgin pulp from Canada's boreal forests to manufacture its toilet paper and other disposable paper products.

According to the campaign, Procter & Gamble's sourcing practices are driving clearcutting, releasing vast amounts of stored carbon, and destroying habitats for bears, caribou, and birds. The ads feature a crying bear dispossessed of its habitat, a poop emoji narrating a video of forest destruction, and a talking butt claiming Charmin is "environmentally friendly." Social media posts skewer Charmin's feel-good advertising and cuddly bear mascots with images of deracinated bears and decimated forests.

Environmental groups, including Stand.earth, Rainforest Action Network, Friends of the Earth, and Mighty Earth, are backing the campaign. They argue that P&G's practices are unsustainable and are pushing the company to change its sourcing policies. The groups have been petitioning P&G for years to shift to more sustainable practices, but the company has continued to use virgin forest fiber in its products.

In August, the United States imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian forest pulp, and last week, Canada retaliated. This move has been seen as a sign that boreal forest sourcing is untenable and broken. Jim Epstein, great-great-grandson of industrialist James Gamble, who co-founded Procter & Gamble in 1837, stated, "Tariffs are another sign that boreal forest sourcing is untenable and broken. P&G can't delay any longer. Change has been a long time coming, and the time has come."

Brian Rodgers of Friends of the Choco, a group advocating for sustainable forest practices, noted that P&G's competitors are already making changes.

The campaign is part of a broader effort by environmental groups to pressure P&G into adopting more sustainable practices. Last year, US and Canadian consumers filed class action lawsuits against P&G for greenwashing. Organizers hope that the new ad campaign can help persuade the company to change its practices by appealing directly to consumers.

P&G has not yet responded to the campaign or the lawsuits. The company continues to claim that its products are sustainably sourced, but environmental groups remain unconvinced. The ongoing debate over sustainable sourcing and the future of the paper industry is likely to continue as the campaign gains momentum.