Inflation does not spare any everyday product, including toilet paper.
In the space of a year, its price in supermarkets has jumped 7%, according to May data from the specialized institute NielsenIQ.
It thus invites itself into the top 10 of the most inflationary consumer products, behind in particular frozen meats, pasta and paper towels.
A notable increase that Michel-Edouard Leclerc had anticipated, who had alerted as of last April on BFMTV.
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In question, the soaring cost of the raw material, paper pulp.
"The cost of paper pulp has increased by 50% in one year"
, says Paul-Antoine Lacour, general delegate of the French Union of Cardboard, Paper and Cellulose Industries (Copacel), interviewed by the magazine
60 Millions .
of consumers
.
Because paper pulp, made from wood fibers, is precisely subject to tensions on the wood market.
“
Due to supply constraints, the entire paper industry is affected
,” explains Emmanuel Cannes, expert at NielsenIQ.
Hence also the rise in parallel, and even higher, of paper towels (+10% in one year).
Transport costs and energy prices
Toilet paper is also affected by rising transport costs.
As paper pulp mainly transits by sea, it has suffered the brunt of the soaring cost of maritime freight, generated by the post-Covid economic recovery and accentuated by the war in Ukraine.
Finally, the explosion in energy prices, caused by the same phenomena, also had a bullish effect on toilet paper.
Because the paper industry is a heavy gas consumer.
“Energy represents 30% of the product.
The evolution of the price depends on that of the gas
”, explains Paul-Antoine Lacour to
60 Millions of consumers
.
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A gas price that is not likely to fall, at least in the short term.
Because Russia is still fueling tensions on the gas market, for example by having just cut off the tap to France, Germany and Italy.
According to the Copacel representative, the threat of a shortage of toilet paper, but also paper towels and tissues, is therefore real.
“For lack of sufficient energy, the factories would then have to stop producing,”
he warns.