Prices Are High but Shelves Are Empty

Have you gone to the supermarket in the last 48 hours to buy toilet paper? Well if you have, you would know that all shelves are completely empty but the prices are high. Supermarket chains are raising prices of essential items rapidly because shoppers are creating a stockpile and are preparing for potentially having to be self-isolated.

Some supermarket chains are introducing reusable toilet paper, also known as family cloth. It is a long roll of cloth designed to look like and resemble toilet paper for a realistic effect. Reusable toilet paper was designed to create less waste and to help sustain a healthy environment. This is mainly targeted for houses and families and are less targeted for schools because it wouldn’t be very hygienic and it will be to hard for school to wash and re wrap after every child uses the cloth. However, not many people are ready for reusing toilet paper and disagree with the item, and that’s why most of the shoppers are stockpiling regular, single use toilet paper and are somewhat starting to make a stockpile of other essentials too.

We interviewed Olivia Kearns to see her views on all of this. Do you think we are ready for reusable toilet paper? “I don’t think we are ready to use this because we need something particular to wash this material.”  When she was asked what she thought about this idea of reusable toilet paper, Ms Kearns responded with “I’m not a fan of it, personally, I don’t think it is very hygienic.”  Her views on stockpiling were, “Yes, but maybe we could limit items per customer”. And when asked what her overall views were she said “I think it is unrealistic and people should be more reasonable on what they buy.”

So overall, people don’t think that reusable toilet paper is the way forward and that we should find alternatives for this item. Some people think that we should stockpile in case of having to be self-isolated and are unable to leave their homes. So it is better to be prepared and stock up so if you do get the virus, you would have supplies, rather than not stocking up and running the risk of getting the virus and not having the essentials you need. Do you think reusable toilet paper is the way forward? Or should we carry on using single use toilet paper? Should we start stockpiling? Or run the risk?  Maybe we just need to be better educated on this subject…

By Alfie B and Thomas K