Toilet roll company bosses are divided over the expected impact of new EU rules. The EU plans to bring in a ban on products linked to deforestation and the boss of a toilet paper company has warned the change will have a "gigantic effect" on the industry.
The boss of toilet paper company Cheeky Panda has warned many companies in the industry will be impacted by the new rules.
The EU's new laws require all companies trading commodities like wood, coffee, soy and cocoa to follow strict processes to trade.. The Mirror reports the key fact for the UK is the fact that products linked to deforestation will be banned from imports and expert with the EU.
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Cheeky Panda owner Chris Forbes said to The Grocer: "There will definitely be a squeeze on availability and we can expect the price of recycled tissue to rise as demand for alternatives increases."
Mr Forbes said 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", and that “the vast majority” of tissue products sold in Europe was still made of virgin fibres from newly harvested trees.
But major producer Essity said it was fully prepared for the new regulation. The company, which produces toilet rolls under the Velvet, Cushelle and Tork brands, said: "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.
"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."
Vikki Makinson, the head of marketing and communications for tissue maker Accrol, said: "We don’t anticipate paper supply shortages as a result of these regulations but potentially a surge in demand for FSC-certified, PEFC and other sustainably sourced stocks."
Though a different cause, any possible shortage of toilet rolls could be a strange flashback for people who remember the early days of the pandemic, in which panic buyers cleaned out some supermarket shelves as they braced for lockdown.
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