Eco-friendly Toilet Paper Brand Who Gives a Crap Proves Millions Do With a $3M Donation to Help Build Toilets All Over the World

News

Eco-friendly Toilet Paper Brand Who Gives a Crap Proves Millions Do With a $3M Donation to Help Build Toilets All Over the World

2024-12-03 22:08 Last Updated At：22:21

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 3, 2024--

Who Gives A Crap, the eco-friendly toilet paper company on a mission to help provide everyone in the world with access to clean water and a toilet, has announced their latest donation of more than $3 million. The Australian brand, which launched its U.S. team in 2016, uses half its profits to fund water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives, which in 2023 alone helped support 845,000 people worldwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241203702909/en/

Founded in Australia in 2012, Who Gives A Crap has since expanded its D2C model to the U.S. and most recently became available in Whole Foods Market and Erewhon Markets, beginning April and October 2024, respectively. The brand’s global expansion of retail availability and direct-to-consumer online sales is fueled by its 50 percent donation model and a belief in making good products that help people all around the world.

While Americans still feel squeezed by inflation and a global cost of living crisis remains a concern, this significant donation demonstrates how customers are still seeking to do good with their product choices. YouGov survey findings published earlier this year showed 1 in 3 Americans and 45 percent of global consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that donates to charity.

With this donation, Who Gives A Crap has raised more than $12.5 million in total, cementing its impact as a social enterprise committed to addressing the global health issue of poor water and sanitation, which causes the death of 1.4 million people annually.

Working in partnership with a group of nonprofits, including WaterAid Australia, Fresh Life, and Water For People, Who Gives A Crap has helped support some of the world’s most vulnerable communities gain access to clean water and toilets through unrestricted grants, which allow non-profits the ability to apply funds where they are needed most.

"Who Gives A Crap empowers us to focus on what truly matters: delivering high-quality, reliable WASH services to the people living in informal settlements in Kenya. Their dedication to solving this global issue with trusted partners, through unrestricted grants, means we’re able to make the biggest impact and prioritize accessibility for everyone,” said Lindsay Stradley, Co-Founder and CEO of Fresh Life. “Since Who Gives A Crap jumped on board in 2016, we've been able to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”

Who Gives A Crap’s latest contribution is second only to its $4 million donation in 2021, which came on the heels of pandemic-spurred #ToiletpaperGate. The brand’s continued success stands as a testament to its international growth and the introduction of new products, including garbage and pet bags, and limited edition collections.

Co-founder and Chief of Product & Purpose Danny Alexander says Who Gives A Crap’s profit donation model has created a cyclical nature to business and charitable success.

“We have to keep growing our donations in a substantial way to help solve the sanitation crisis. By giving away half of our profits, we’ve built a thriving business supported by a devoted customer base,” he explained. “Today, we’re the world’s largest D2C toilet paper company, with customers proudly showcasing our rolls in their bathrooms and spreading the word within their communities.”

Who Gives A Crap’s Head of Impact Robin Cho echoes Alexander’s sentiment, reiterating the ways social enterprise promotes growth:

“There is a lot more work to be done, but we’re even closer to our goal of giving everyone access to clean water and toilets with the help of our Who Gives A Crap community, who share in our desire to make it fun to do good. They understand a simple act like changing toilet paper can help change the world, which is one reason why 50 percent of our customers have given our rolls as a gift–they also want to get more bums on board.”

Who Gives A Crap is a certified B Corp™, is FSC® Chain-of-Custody certified and has an A environmental rating from the Natural Resources Defence Council. The toiler paper brand’s profit-for-purpose business model saw the social enterprise ranked as Australia’s top corporate giver in 2024 1.

For more information about Who Gives A Crap’s impact, head to https://us.whogivesacrap.org/pages/our-impact or, follow Who Gives A Crap on Instagram @whogivesacraptp.

High-res imagery:Here

About Who Gives A Crap

Who Gives A Crap is a B Corp™ certified business, recognised for the highest levels of environmental and social impact. Their products are eco-friendly, made using recycled and sustainably managed sources that are FSC ® Chain-of-Custody certified (C190271) and delivered to nearly 40 countries with complimentary carbon-neutral shipping.

The business launched in 2012 when co-founders Simon Griffiths, Danny Alexander and Jehan Ratnatunga learnt that billions of people do not have access to a toilet. From the beginning, the company has donated 50% of its profits to clean water and sanitation non-profits worldwide. To date, Who Gives A Crap has donated over $12 million to partners around the world that work with local communities to improve access to water, toilets and hygiene solutions. The company strives to continually reduce its environmental footprint whilst helping billions of people in need.

1 Who Gives A Crap was ranked the top Australian corporate giver listed by percentage of profits per Forbes Australia in August 2024.

South Korean leader is urged to resign or be impeached after imposing sudden martial law

2024-12-04 13:29 Last Updated At：13:31

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s main opposition party on Wednesday urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign immediately or face impeachment, hours after Yoon ended a short-lived martial law that prompted troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers voted to lift it.

Yoon’s senior advisers and secretaries offered to resign collectively and his Cabinet members, including Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, were also facing calls to step down, as the nation struggled to make sense of what appeared to be a poorly-thought-out stunt.

In the capital, tourists and residents walked around, traffic and construction were heard, and other than crowds of police holding shields, it seemed like a normal sunny, cold December morning.

On Tuesday night, Yoon abruptly imposed the emergency martial law, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces after he struggled to push forward his agenda in the opposition-dominated parliament. But his martial law was effective for only about six hours, as the National Assembly voted to overrule the president. The declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament, said Wednesday that its lawmakers decided to call on Yoon to quit immediately or they would take steps to impeach him.

“President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it,” the Democratic Party said in a statement. “His martial law declaration was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution. It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment.”

Impeaching him would require support from two-thirds of the parliament, or 200 of its 300 members. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties together have 192 seats. But when the parliament rejected Yoon’s martial law declaration in a 190-0 vote, 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party cast ballots supporting the rejection, according to National Assembly officials. The leader of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hun, who has long ties with Yoon dating to their days as prosecutors, criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration as “unconstitutional.” If Yoon is impeached, he’ll be stripped of his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court can rule on his fate. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the No. 2 position in the South Korean government, would take over his presidential responsibilities. As calls mounted for Yoon’s Cabinet to resign, Han issued a public message pleading for patience and calling for Cabinet members to “fulfill your duties even after this moment.”

Yoon’s martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, harkened to South Korea’s past military-backed governments when authorities occasionally proclaimed martial law and other decrees that allowed them to station combat soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles on streets or at public places like schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations. Such scenes of military intervention had not been seen since South Korea achieved a genuine democracy in the late 1980s until Tuesday night.

After Yoon’s declaration, troops carrying full battle gear, including assault rifles, tried to keep protesters away from the National Assembly as military helicopters flew overhead and landed nearby. One soldier pointed his assault rifle at a woman who was among protesters outside the building demanding that the martial law be lifted.

It wasn’t clear how the 190 lawmakers were able to enter a parliamentary hall to vote down Yoon’s martial law decree. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung livestreamed himself climbing over the wall, and while troops and police officers blocked some from entering they didn’t aggressively restrain or use force against others.

No major violence has been reported. The troops and police personnel were later seen leaving the grounds of the National Assembly after the parliamentary vote to lift the martial law. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik said: “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military.”

Han, the People Power Party leader, demanded that Yoon explain his decision and fire Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who he said recommended the martial law decree to Yoon. The Defense Ministry has not commented.

Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to restrict the freedom of press, assembly and other rights to maintain order. Many observers question whether South Korea is currently in such a state.

The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote.

Some experts say Yoon clearly violated the constitution in how he imposed martial law. While martial law allows “special measures” to restrict individual freedoms and the authority of agencies and courts, the constitution does not permit the functions of parliament to be restricted. But in following Yoon’s declaration on Tuesday, South Korea’s military proclaimed parliamentary activities were suspended and deployed troops to try to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly.

Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party’s floor leader, called for Yoon to be immediately investigated on charges of rebellion over the way he deployed troops to the parliament. While the president mostly enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to alleged rebellion or treason.

In Washington, the White House said the U.S. was “seriously concerned” by the events in Seoul. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the martial law announcement and was in contact with the South Korean government.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said there was no effect on the more than 27,000 U.S. service members based in South Korea.

In Seoul, the streets seemed busy like a normal day Wednesday.

Tourist Stephen Rowan, from Brisbane, Australia, who was touring Gyeongbokgung Palace, said he was not concerned at all.

“But then again, I don’t understand too much about the political status in Korea,” he said. “But I hear they are now calling for the current president’s resignation, so ... apparently there’s going to be a lot of demonstrations. ... I would have been concerned if martial law had stayed enforced.”

Yoon’s government and ruling party have been embroiled in an impasse with the Democratic Party over next year’s budget bill and a Democratic Party-led attempt to to impeach three top prosecutors.

During his televised announcement, Yoon also described the opposition as “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our citizens.” He did not elaborate. North Korea had no immediate comments.

Natalia Slavney, research analyst at the Stimson Center’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was “a serious backslide of democracy” that followed a “worrying trend of abuse” since he took office in 2022.

South Korea “has a robust history of political pluralism and is no stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments,” Slavney said, citing the example of former President Park Geun-hye, who was ousted from office and imprisoned for bribery and other crimes in 2017. She was later pardoned.

Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott contributed to this report.