I understand what you are thinking. Ok so lets get emotion out of the way and look at logic. Royal (Balls) are from Africa and live in scrub and savanna some into light forest depending on where in the range they are from. much of the savannah is hard packed clay dry and rock hard. paper is just a substitute to that, likely a close one. Wood chips are not a very natural substrate if we look at wild environments but generate a similar result to dry clay with tough grasses.
The other thing to keep in mind many of the animals have never been on natural clay and have no experience with it. The local terrain is not something instinct will dictate at all anyway it is something of a moot point.
One of the things we as diligent keepers do is to create a captive environment that simulates the natural habitat. The way you are looking at tubs is not looking though a snakes eyes. Tubs basically are a hide. There is no up so they are them selves a den a place of safety. Royals spend much of the time in the wild under things in burrows and generally in deep dark places what ever the opportunity presents. A tub is just that.
Many whom have tubs have racks little drawers where they live. Each little drawer has a spot where some light comes down and a warmer end and a cooler end. This is basically a burrow. Most breeders have no hides they don't need one the snake is in a hide a big plastic one. In the wild they will stay in a burrow until the residents are eaten and they have digested them and move on to the next or until the food and or water runs out. In tubs the snake has water and food there is no need to leave.
Tanks and naturalistic enclosures simulate terrane with multiple small, tiny hides. There is a different range of behaviour in them over tubs as the snake tends to display hunting and exploring responses but that does not mean that it is in humane to use tubs it is just different.
I have friends in Germany whom use bioactive systems and could and do (teasingly) say the same for the way I keep my snakes they have live plants large enclosures and bugs and such in them in a careful balance to generate a live environment. It requires a huge investment and a very deep understanding of everything that is there. life cycles of bugs to plants everything must be right. It is simply beyond most people in resources, time and education. The logic you are using says that this is the only humane way to keep royals but the thousands of dollars and years of experience is hard to come by.
There are very few hard and fasts in the hobby and the type of enclosure makes little difference to the health and well being of the snake. It is the keeper that is key not the enclosure. A diligent keeper will set up a system that provides the proper environment. Where that is does not matter Tub tank or otherwise. One is not better or worse just different each presents different problems and need different solutions. The ingenuity and care of the keeper make the difference the enclosure is just where the snake stays.
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