You will have smiled to learn that in several countries of the world, when the pandemic alarm went off, consumers stormed the shelves of supermarkets to take home as many rolls of toilet paper as possible. The phenomenon was very visible in the USA, where the problem continues to be perceptible, despite the assurances of the authorities on the adequacy of stocks. And also in the rest of Europe things went roughly like this, so much so that the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had to reassure a lady at the supermarket, who asked him if the country was in danger of being left without rolls.
In Italy, the problem has not been felt. At the beginning of the pandemic, even before “lockdown” national, the assault by us concerned food, including pasta and flour. There could be no more tricolor panic than this. Yet, in a sense, consumers perceived the possible risks. In 2018, Italy produced something like 626 million kg of toilet paper, compared to domestic consumption of just over 380 million. In value, ISTAT tells us that we are running towards the 1 billion euro figure.
Therefore, we produce almost 65% more than we consume, there is no reason to panic, because in the case of closure of the commercial borders, as partially happened with Coronavirus, our companies would have warehouse stocks such as to satisfy national consumption for more than a year and a half. And even in the case of a rush to shop, the emptying of the shelves would be only temporary for us, the time to produce new rolls and get them to the supermarket.
Is globalization the perfect storm that puts an end to globalization?
The toilet paper supply chain
The Italians consume on average 6.3 kg of toilet paper per year, equal to 70 rolls.
In international comparison, we are among the most virtuous. Think that every American consumes the average of 140 rolls and every German 134. About the same as we (71) find France, while below we have China (49) and Brazil (38). Germany has a toilet paper market of around 1.8 billion euro per year and consumes 800 million kg of it, compared to a production (including tissue paper) of 1.5 billion kg.
The production of toilet paper is clearly influenced by the availability of raw materials, essentially the trees from which cellulose is obtained. And the Germans have them in large quantities, as do we Italians. Elsewhere, this is not always the case and also due to the different orientation of local productions, it is forced to import it. However, the closure of the borders since March has alarmed millions of consumers among importing countries. The transport of toilet paper requires numerous loads, however it happens (truck, plane, train, etc.), as it is a bulky product, when light in weight. And with the reduced mobility of the past few months, the risk that few rolls of personal hygiene came from abroad was perceived to be quite high.
In general, then, toilet paper is mentally associated with the group of primary goods for close survival, alongside food, medicines and other hygiene products. In 2013, the first sign of the devastating crisis that would sweep Venezuela was the shortage of toilet paper on the shelves, with President Nicolas Maduro reassuring the population in a grotesque manner. A little later, all the goods disappeared from the shelves. Ultimately, the phenomenon highlighted how important it is to keep the production chain intact, avoiding interruptions, so that globalization does not match the shortcomings here and there of products. A far underestimated risk, as shown by the dramatic consequences of government interventions to keep sensitive products within national borders, effectively denying them to outlet markets.
From masks to drugs, passing through pulmonary ventilators, the world has been one step away from falling apart. Not toilet paper.
And the diaper crisis breaks out in Iran, a sad reminder of toilet paper in Venezuela
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