TP hording is not the only reason its hard to find

While we have made much of people hording TP in this crisis, this recent blog post delves into the nitty gritty of toilet paper production and comes away with some interesting points.

Toilet paper for homes and for commercial enterprises are two separate segments of the industry which explains the one ply TP (seriously you could use it for sandpaper) we have at work.

Part of the shortage is that with the shelter in place people are at home thus using 40% more TP since you don't get to pinch a loaf at work etc

The consumer TP industry is a highly automated 24/7 operation business that has literally razor thin margins thus most plants have zero capacity to ramp up as they are already running day in day out as prior to the pandemic demand was predictable

n short, the toilet paper industry is split into two, largely separate markets: commercial and consumer. The pandemic has shifted the lion’s share of demand to the latter. People actually do need to buy significantly more toilet paper during the pandemic — not because they’re making more trips to the bathroom, but because they’re making more of them at home. With some 75% of the U.S. population under stay-at-home orders, Americans are no longer using the restrooms at their workplace, in schools, at restaurants, at hotels, or in airports.

Georgia-Pacific, a leading toilet paper manufacturer based in Atlanta, estimates that the average household will use 40% more toilet paper than usual if all of its members are staying home around the clock. That’s a huge leap in demand for a product whose supply chain is predicated on the assumption that demand is essentially constant. It’s one that won’t fully subside even when people stop hoarding or panic-buying.marker.medium.com...

and

“Not only is it not the same product, but it often doesn’t come from the same mills,” added Jim Luke, a professor of economics at Lansing Community College, who once worked as head of planning for a wholesale paper distributor. “So for instance, Procter & Gamble [which owns Charmin] is huge in the retail consumer market. But it doesn’t play in the institutional market at all.”

Georgia-Pacific, which sells to both markets, told me its commercial products also use more recycled fiber, while the retail sheets for its consumer brands Angel Soft and Quilted Northern are typically 100% virgin fiber. Eric Abercrombie, a spokesman for the company, said it has seen demand rise on the retail side, while it expects a decline in the “away-from-home activity” that drives its business-to-business sales. marker.medium.com...

I never thought of that. I might be able to go to Rhinehardt and buy some commercial paper I suppose, trouble is that kind of paper doesn't fall apart so well, it might mess up our septic tank. There are still the expensive TPs in the store, but we can't use them because they also clog the septic. It needs to be pumped this summer again. every five years we have it pumped.

Employ the Sheryl Crow method and one roll will last you a month.

a reply to: FredT

The consumer TP industry is a highly automated 24/7 operation business that has literally razor thin margins thus most plants have zero capacity to ramp up as they are already running day in day out as prior to the pandemic demand was predictable

I can absolutely back that up.
I work with paper manufacturers and they only have very short (and rare) scheduled downtimes for critical maintenance.

I got a call from a tissue paper mill to postpone their planned shutdown for at least 4 months. Previously, a local mill making paper for paperboard postponed any work there indefinitely... except for emergency work on breakdowns.

a reply to: FredT

We went past a truck in Dallas that had rolled over and was on fire. Turned out to be a commercial toilet paper load and it was scattered over the interstate and on fire.

a reply to: FredT
Sounds like Georgia-Pacific needs to invest in some equipment to switch a portion of its commercial machines over to consumer level products for a while. I'm sure it won't be cheap or quick to do, but they will make the money back and more.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Hell no employ the Scout method. separate 1 square into 1 ply each and use, deploy toothpick to clean finger nail. One roll will last you at least 4 months. But your gonna need alot of toothpicks

a reply to: FredT

Wait, is that really a thing?

And funny, that like the company I used to work for, they would order the industrial kind, cases at a time, so there was always a case somewhere.

Everyone should just plant lambs ear this year. Comes up early, grows all summer, and is softer than consumer grade.

I have lots. LOL

Our family just bought tissues instead. You can flush them and they are soft.

I don't blame people for waking up to realize they should have been storing more food on hand and spending less on cappucinnos. I'd rather have them start to hoard than starve and come knocking on my door (or worse).

The toilet paper thing, however, is mind-boggling to me.

I have a shower right next to the bathroom if things become dire. Hell, you could probably use a washcloth, and rinse then launder it like cloth diapers (though I think I'd rather just shower). It is literally the last thing I'm worried about having more of.

Along the same lines, the run on paper towels and paper plates makes zero sense to me. I, like most people, have a full drawer of dish/hand towels that rarely get used aside from the two hanging on the oven door that grt switched out every week or so. I'll be just fine if I have to eat on a real plate and wash it. I have plenty of time for washing and laundry right now...

a reply to: FredT

A bidet is very useful in reducing tp usage

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: FredT

We went past a truck in Dallas that had rolled over and was on fire. Turned out to be a commercial toilet paper load and it was scattered over the interstate and on fire.

Hah, i was going to post that when i read the op,
Heard some truckers at work talking about it yesterday

toilet paper truck


I can imagine all the passerbys rushing over to grab all they can carry like its a load of dollar bills.

a reply to: FredT

I love it! Learning so many oddball things with all of this.
Now, for TMI, brought to you by Kirkland Signature Toilet Paper:

I'm working 3 days/week instead of 5 now, so automatically, 40% of my work poop is now home poop. However, normally 80% of my poops on work days happen at home. I'm a super pooper, typically 5 a day. 3 in the morning, 1 during the work day, and one when I get home from work. I don't know why my body treats those morning poops as 3 separate events.

So now, I spend a good 20-30 minutes in the morning, to combine the 3 into 1, just so I'm not going thru as much TP. I grab a water, my red bull or coffee, and my phone. Pop open 6-12 ATS tabs and get to work.

My home TP usage has gone down, my overall TP usage has gone down, and frankly, my rear is much happier as a result lol.

Silver linings, folks...silver linings.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I never thought of that. I might be able to go to Rhinehardt and buy some commercial paper I suppose, trouble is that kind of paper doesn't fall apart so well, it might mess up our septic tank. There are still the expensive TPs in the store, but we can't use them because they also clog the septic. It needs to be pumped this summer again. every five years we have it pumped.

Think organic composting toilet. Or camping in an RV. You put the used tp in a garbage bag and get rid of it. We put all non human waste in a garbage bag and burn it. I haven't had my septic tanks pumped ever. I've lived in two different places in the last 20 years and each had septic. No pumping. In fact, I've never even checked them and I've never had any issues. Out of curiosity, I do plan to open my septic tank at my current location. Eleventh year here and I'm curious how everything looks because I hear comments others have made about their septic tanks. They pump regularly and also have problems with back up. I honestly think you need a somewhat full septic tank without chemicals that kill the natural bacteria. With freezing weather - like minus 35F, I hear of people having issues with their septic but I never have. Although I have no idea what level of fullness the system is.

I treat the septic like the pool of living bacteria that it is. No harsh cleaners, organic input only. I don't add Riddex or any of that stuff.

I know a lot of people think this is gross but whatever.

And yes, you have millions of people home that were previously taking care of business at work or school and they're going through the TP like crazy. Plus they're probably eating more with less things to do and well, more potty breaks equals more tp.

originally posted by: StoutBroux

originally posted by: rickymouse
I never thought of that. I might be able to go to Rhinehardt and buy some commercial paper I suppose, trouble is that kind of paper doesn't fall apart so well, it might mess up our septic tank. There are still the expensive TPs in the store, but we can't use them because they also clog the septic. It needs to be pumped this summer again. every five years we have it pumped.

Think organic composting toilet. Or camping in an RV. You put the used tp in a garbage bag and get rid of it. We put all non human waste in a garbage bag and burn it. I haven't had my septic tanks pumped ever. I've lived in two different places in the last 20 years and each had septic. No pumping. In fact, I've never even checked them and I've never had any issues. Out of curiosity, I do plan to open my septic tank at my current location. Eleventh year here and I'm curious how everything looks because I hear comments others have made about their septic tanks. They pump regularly and also have problems with back up. I honestly think you need a somewhat full septic tank without chemicals that kill the natural bacteria. With freezing weather - like minus 35F, I hear of people having issues with their septic but I never have. Although I have no idea what level of fullness the system is.

I treat the septic like the pool of living bacteria that it is. No harsh cleaners, organic input only. I don't add Riddex or any of that stuff.

I know a lot of people think this is gross but whatever.

And yes, you have millions of people home that were previously taking care of business at work or school and they're going through the TP like crazy. Plus they're probably eating more with less things to do and well, more potty breaks equals more tp.

I'll just build an outhouse. I grew up on the farm using an old two seater. Had to shovel it out through the back little door every year with my dad after I turned eleven years old or so. I also have used leaves for toilet paper, but no leaves on the tree now, and the wife would use one of my guns to shoot me if I stripped the leaves off her houseplants.

originally posted by: caterpillage

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: FredT

We went past a truck in Dallas that had rolled over and was on fire. Turned out to be a commercial toilet paper load and it was scattered over the interstate and on fire.

Hah, i was going to post that when i read the op,
Heard some truckers at work talking about it yesterday

toilet paper truck


I can imagine all the passerbys rushing over to grab all they can carry like its a load of dollar bills.

Those rolls on the road look like commercial grade TP.

a reply to: Wookiep

It was. Kimberly-Clarke has a regular run from both Georgia and Alabama to several places in Texas.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I've often wondered why those didn't catch on here in the U.S.