Toilet paper and coronavirus: what’s there to fear?

Jan 20, 2021
1 min read

Those of us in the toilet paper industry were completely taken aback in 2020 as we watched the demand for our humble paper product explode. We sat on the edge of our seats watching fights on YouTube, commentary on the news and rants on TikTok, all about the madness crossing our country for the product we produce.

Whether you were or were not one of those people stocking up, fighting fellow citizens, or trying to return mountains of the stuff once you realised you could build a new house with your surplus, we do not judge. In fact, if you were swept away with the fear of the toilet paper shortage of 2020, we thank you. That was quite an exciting time to be part of the toilet paper industry. One we hope will not be repeated but was fun to be part of none the less.

Now the dust has settled, bar the occasional scare, we can't help but wonder, "How did it happen?" "What were people scared of?" "Are we at risk of another shortage?"

Never fear, our toilet paper is made here

What actually happened during the worst of Australia's Covid lockdowns was that panic buying stripped the shelves. There was no shortage. Every time a solitary roll was photographed on a shelf, panic ensued. FOMO took over our collective consciousness, and supermarket staff didn't think to sneak their phones out the back to snap a soothing picture of their surplus stock. But alas, it's not their fault.

While we may never be free from the threat of impulsive panic buying, we can tell you with complete confidence that we are never under threat of an actual toilet paper shortage. How can we be so sure? Well, icare produces your favourite toilet paper products on-site in Melbourne. And toilet paper production is an essential service, whether we're in the midst of a pandemic or not. We're kind of a big deal.