A new law which is set to come into force next month may lead to a shortage of toilet roll on shop shelves, experts have warned.
This will be a familiar memory for many, as the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic saw panic buyers clear out supermarket shelves of the essential household product.
Now, a new EU law aiming to ban products linked to deforestation could mean that similar scenes could be just around the corner due to a "lack of preparation" for the new regulations.
Chronicle Live reports that Chris Forbes is the boss of Cheeky Panda, a company which produces toilet paper made from bamboo.
He's said the ban on products linked to deforestation from May will have a "gigantic effect" on the toilet paper industry, as many companies are still heavily reliant on virgin pulp as a raw material and so will struggle to make the changes needed in time for the new rules.
"There will definitely be a squeeze on availability and we can expect the price of recycled tissue to rise as demand for alternatives increases,” Forbes told The Grocer.
He said “the vast majority” of tissue products – such as toilet paper, facial tissues and paper towels – sold in the UK and EU was still made of virgin fibres from newly harvested trees and some of the biggest brand and own-label tissue suppliers would have to “spend billions of pounds on operational transformation” to abide by the new laws.
The EU’s new laws mean that all companies trading things like wood, coffee, soy and cocoa will have to follow strict processes to trade with the bloc, and products linked to deforestation will be banned from import and export with the EU.
They will also have an 18 month implementation period for larger firms and a 24 month period for smaller to medium sized businesses.
But Essity, which produces toilet rolls under the Velvet, Cushelle and Tork brands in its Prudhoe, Northumberland, site, said it was fully prepared for the new EU regulation and supports the introduction of the law. Prudhoe is Essity’s largest site in the UK and employs around 400 people.
"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," said a spokesperson.
"For companies of Essity’s size, the new EU legislation will come into full effect in 2024 following a transition period that will enable organisations to adapt to any required changes in supply chain. We can say with absolute confidence that there will not be a shortage of toilet roll resulting from changes to EU laws."
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