People are panic-buying toilet paper. But is there any actual risk that the U.S. could run out?
, the average is a little over one. Even at that upper limit, it would take a household of 15 to rip through just one Costco-sized 30-pack of Kirkland Signature two-ply over the course of a 14-day quarantine. For a couple, one pack should last for nearly four months.
Toilet paper is also distinct from products such as hand sanitizer and coronavirus test kits, where increased use means that there is a genuine risk of shortages. Barring a new craze for mummy costumes, the actual use of toilet paper is unlikely to increase. “If you’re a supply chain professional, this is called the bullwhip effect,” he said, “an oscillation in supply that moves up the chain.”
Other countries with severe outbreaks have not suffered total shutdowns of stores or illness rates that disabled the logistics and paper industries. In Italy and parts of China that went into full lockdown, grocery stores remained open, as did factories producing essential products.Even in the unlikely case of a major transportation shutdown, Los Angeles is sitting pretty when it comes to the supply chain.
Since toilet paper is a relatively low-cost and high-bulk item — low value-density, in economics terms — there’s little incentive for manufacturers to ship products long distances or overseas. America imports a higher percentage of its toilet paper than most other nations,, but those imports only amount to 9% of the total U.S. supply, with the majority of that coming from Canada and Mexico.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A year after mosque attacks, 'New Zealand and its people have fundamentally changed'One year after a gunman killed 51 people at two Christchurch mosques, 'New Zealand and its people have fundamentally changed,' PM Ardern says.
Read more »
'People have been trying to underplay this': Why the coronavirus is different from the fluThey spread in similar ways and share many of the same symptoms, but the flu and the coronavirus have key differences.
Read more »
Dalgona coffee is the latest viral food trend in South Korea as people stay homeIn South Korea, a nostalgic iced coffee recipe goes viral as people stay home.
Read more »
15 Contagion Movies & Series People Are Watching on NetflixAmid fears of the coronavirus, many people are watching movies about disease and viruses on Netflix.
Read more »
U.S. air strikes in Iraq killed six people: Iraqi militaryIraq's military condemned overnight U.S. air strikes on Friday and said the...
Read more »
Artificial sweeteners may make healthy people sick when paired with carbs, study saysYale researchers found that sucralose, when consumed with carbohydrates, can decrease your body's insulin sensitivity and brain's response to sugar.
Read more »