Washington, D.C. – American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding consumer demand for tissue products:

“American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) members are committed to the safety of our workforce and our end-users. This situation is highly dynamic and changing daily, and the industry is working diligently to respond to the spike in demand for tissue products due to coronavirus (COVID-19) purchases. Rest assured, tissue products continue to be produced and shipped – just as they are 52 weeks each year as part of a global market.

“AF&PA members operate a safe and highly automated process to create and maintain tissue supply, and the paper and wood products industry remains committed to providing customers and businesses worldwide with these essential, everyday products.”

Additional background:

What is tissue and how is it made? Tissue paper products – which include paper towels, toilet paper and napkins – are products that contribute to improved personal hygiene, comfort and convenience. It’s made from fiber that’s formed on paper machines and ultimately converted into various configurations of tissue products. It can also be manufactured from recycled paper products, or a combination of fresh fiber and recycled fiber. For more information on the production process, please visit AF&PA’s tissue products page: https://www.afandpa.org/our-products/tissue. 

How does the supply chain work? From start to finish, the paper production process can take various routes – and those routes are dependent on individual company and customer logistics. Large, parent rolls are created on paper machines, and are then converted into individual rolls or folded into sheets using in-house converting operations or by third-party converters. Once converted, the various tissue products are wrapped, packed and shipped to a bulk distribution network, and then redistributed according to individual orders from retailers or other institutions like schools, restaurants or hotels.

How are companies responding? AF&PA is unable to comment on individual company decisions. The following links explain how AF&PA member companies are addressing the situation.

Statement on Georgia-Pacific’s Response to COVID-19 - Georgia-Pacific

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