Toilet Paper Rolls Are Shrinking In Value, And Costing Just As Much [Report]
Toilet paper rolls are getting smaller, and you’re paying more for the product in your toilet paper holder, relatively. It’s part of a recent wave of economics that affects the general consumer at the bottom line across the board.
Many companies are downsizing the amount they sell of various products, and it’s not just for the dollar store shelves. That packet of coffee you may have purchased at the grocery store actually has less in it than it used to, for example.
It seems even the major manufacturers have been looking for ways to stay profitable in an economy which made everything harder. Now that toilet paper roll you may have in your bathroom is actually smaller as a result.
The cardboard tube itself is larger if you measure it, according to the Los Angeles Times, while the paper itself has lost surface area. You are literally paying the same amount for about 25 percent less than you got 10 years ago, according to their toilet paper roll test.
Their source, known as Crandle, looked into the issue and revealed their conclusion.
“The old standard for a single sheet of tissue was [four and a half], a nice square.
“Some tissue companies have changed the length of the sheet to [four] inches, with a width of [four and a half] inches, no longer a square.
“Most recently I noticed that the roll was looking different, smaller in width. With my ruler in hand, I confirmed that the roll was narrower at [four] inches. At least I had a square again.”
Charmin was caught doing that very thing in 2013, and their manufacturer, Procter & Gamble, admitted to it. They said it was to counter the greater strength of the square, so “you don’t need to use as much.”
Consumers may have noticed the mysterious removal of the standard one-ply product in favor of more variations on “stronger” and “softer” versions, which basically added more thickness to the product and reduced how many squares you found on the roll. Combine this with the shrinkage in the amount you get on toilet paper rolls now, and it appears obvious that companies are ripping us off.
Toilet paper: Bigger cardboard rolls, smaller sheets, same price http://t.co/IAOalHFSjG
— David Lazarus (@Davidlaz) January 22, 2015
According to Consumer Reports in March 2014, the increase in thickness was an improvement on quality, with White Cloud 3-Ply beating out Charmin Ultra-Strong for the best product.
So what can you as a consumer do about the shrinkage in toilet paper rolls? Find a way to use less with every handful if you can, and try sticking to basic styles instead of the “stronger” or “softer” variations. It may feel better on your bottom to use the new styles, but you’re getting ripped off.
[Image via Rainbow FM]
