Crisis in Europe: toilet paper is more expensive and thinner in the Netherlands
Local tissue makers are feeling the impacts of rising gas and electricity costs, military conflict, and pulp shortages
The energy crisis in Europe, added to the pulp shortage and the war between Russia and Ukraine, has had serious consequences across the continent and has affected several markets, including tissue paper.
In the Netherlands, industries have been feeling the effects of these instabilities. With the suspension of exports of Russian birch due to the military conflict and the high prices of raw materials, including gas and electricity, there has been a reduction in the thickness and quality of toilet paper and an increase in the price of the final product, which, in this year, has already increased by 45%.
Based in Belgium and responsible for supplying much of the toilet paper sold on the Dutch market, Essity said it does not yet face production problems, but stressed that it “does not know what the future holds”.
According to RTL Nieuws, between 800,000 and 1.2 million tons of pulp are expected to disappear from the market, creating a shortage by mid-2023, with impacts on the Dutch market.
Toilet paper prices also rose in Switzerland, due to high production costs and, in Germany, manufacturers face challenges to keep up with high energy costs, having looked for alternatives to continue their activities.
