A scary fact is toilet paper consumes 27 000 trees per day which is a shed load of trees. This equates to around 85 million toilet rolls. Less than 30% of the world population uses toilet paper. The average person will spend 3 years of their life on the toilet. Whether you use single or double ply tends to reflect your income levels.
Shrinkflation is something we are seeing more and more of when you are paying the same price or more for less. This is the inflation manufacturers try and hide, but they have done it so much lately you have to be so careful whilst shopping.
The toilet paper problem started back in 2020 when we had the lockdowns and fear mongering had households stockpiling this item. Since then the prices have not stopped rising and the manufacturer blame the cost of pulp, the backlog with the shipping and the rising price of electricity impacting costs. I don't believe this for one second as how can prices more than double? You could understand a 40% increase over the last 3 years, but not 100-150% which is racketeering.
Let us take toilet paper as a prime example as it is not something I have paid much attention to until now. Not that long ago so maybe 5 years ago a standard toilet paper roll world wide was 420 sheets. This was the number I can remember for some odd reason that has stuck in my head as I have known no different till now.
Yesterday I was in the supermarket and saw a "special" except I was a little stunned when I saw how many sheets were one each roll. This "special" was for 200 sheets per roll which is 220 sheets short of what we used to have so more than half has vanished yet we are paying more today.
I thought this is nuts and visited the toilet paper aisle to double check what is going on and the brands ranged from 200, 250 and 350 sheets per roll. The 350 sheets per roll was slightly more expensive, but how many housewives know how many sheets are on a roll and if it is a good deal or not? One of the household name brands didn't even advertise on the packaging how many sheets were per roll and that is rather a telling sign.
Toilet paper is the highest inflated non food item today and they know they can do this due to the need for this item. This must be the most lucrative manufacturing industry right now as I know of no other sector that can charge double for the same item within a 3 year period.
When I was manufacturing my pallet wrap we had to pay attention to the market place and our competitors as they dropped from a 500 meter roll to a 450 meter roll and now a 400 meter roll all over a 5 year period. Then we noticed the width started shrinking as well. What manufacturers then did which was criminal in our minds was increase the size of the cardboard core making it thicker and heavier so the weight remained the same yet you were receiving far less pallet wrap. In some cases we found a 33% difference which means you are paying the same price for 1/3rd less without being informed which is fraud.
I suspect the toilet roll industry is just as corrupt and shortly there will be no number of sheets highlighted on the packaging. With everyone just accepting the reasons behind the price increases as gospel there is a proper opportunity for an entrepreneur to shake the market.
