Fears of a possible toilet paper shortage are growing following a new EU ban, reports The Mirror.
The fear of Covid-19 toilet paper that surfaced at the start of the pandemic may still be fresh in people’s minds: the time of the first lockdown when many people panicked and bought rolls of toilet paper, leading to rationed sales in certain places.
Now the boss of a major toilet paper company has warned people there could be shortages due to a lack of preparedness for new deforestation laws, reports The Mirror.
The fears stem from a plan by the European agency to ban products linked to deforestation, which Chris Forbes, owner of Cheeky Panda, will have a “Gigantic effect” on the industry.
Speaking to The Grocer, Forbes said: “There will definitely be a squeeze on availability and we can expect the price of recycled tissue to rise as demand for alternatives increases,” reports The Mirror.
The new laws would require all companies that trade in commodities such as timber, coffee, soy and cocoa to follow strict procedures for trading with the bloc, meaning products linked to deforestation must not be marketed but can be imported or registered in the EU.
But even given Forbes’ bleak outlook, one of Europe’s biggest toilet paper makers, Essity, told the Mirror it was fully prepared for the introduction of the new regulations.
The Swedish hygiene and health company produces Velvet, Cushelle and Tork toilet paper. According to the disposable product giant, however, they are “absolutely confidence” that there will be no shortages.
“Essity fully supports any legislation designed to combat deforestation. We have a long history of working closely with our suppliers under strict requirements to ensure that all of our raw materials are sourced ethically and responsibly,” it said, reports The Mirror.
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