Will rolled cigarettes eventually take over from commercial brands worldwide?
Once upon a time the only option for smokers was to ‘roll your own’. Tobacco and papers were readily available, and people were used to doing it themselves.
But as smoking gained popularity and started to become a multi-million-dollar industry innovators came up with a convenient way to make even more money – ready rolled, filtered cigarettes.
For over forty years commercially produced cigarettes have been the most popular choice amongst smokers. Huge companies including Benson and Hedges, Marlboro and Lucky Strike have built billion-dollar businesses from their extensive range of brands.
But in the past decade a shift has started away from the corporate conglomerates and back towards traditional methods – for all sorts of reasons. According to ash.co.uk there has been a ‘steady increase’ in the number of smokers using mainly hand-rolled tobacco. ‘In 1990, 18% of male smokers and 2% of female smokers said they smoked mainly hand-rolled cigarettes but by 2011 this had risen to 40% and 26% respectively.’ These numbers have continued to increase year on year – with rollies cited as the majority favourite in the UK and Australia – with the US not far behind.
So what’s the appeal of hand-rolled cigarettes – and will they eventually take over completely from their mass-produced counterparts?
Roll-up cigarettes offer an eco-friendly solution
In recent years we are realising the full extent of the environmental damage we cause through modern life – and as a result many people are making eco-friendly switches to their daily routines. Commercially produced cigarettes have a much larger impact on the environment compared to roll-your-owns, as they are mass produced in factories and contain a variety of chemicals, not to mention the plastic packaging they generate. Roll-ups are generally made from all-organic materials that can be composted, recycled and broken down. There’s much less involved in producing these materials – and the rolling itself is man-powered rather than fossil fuelled.
Roll-up cigarettes are perfectly personalised
One key benefit of roll-up cigarettes is how easily they can be manipulated depending on your personal preference. Many different types of tobacco and papers are available – plus tobacco alternatives, which are becoming increasingly popular year on year. Doing it yourself gives you the freedom to smoke your way, however you please – whether you like skinny ones, fat ones, organic hemp papers or herbal alternatives to tobacco.
Anyone can roll – thanks to AXIS
One thing that previously put off DIY smokers was the thought of rolling up. It appears simple – and seasoned roll-up smokers certainly make it look easy – but it takes practice to roll the perfect cigarette by hand. Our revolutionary rolling machine makes clumsy, wrinkly roll-ups a thing of the past – thanks to innovative technology designed for smokers. Easy to use and easy to clean, our rolling machine effortlessly rolls the perfect cigarette each time based on your personal specifications.
