What’s Up With Rising Toilet Paper Prices?

by Dev MG April 29, 2025

It's essential. It’s always on your shopping list. And it’s getting pricier — we won’t pretend it’s not happening.

At Save Trees (formerly Cloud Paper), we want you to love your premium bamboo toilet paper and help the planet in the process.

But why on Earth is the toilet paper price going up? It’s not only us — brands across the board are seeing the same trend. Let’s dive into it so that you stay informed and empowered in your buying decisions.

5 Reasons Toilet Paper Is Getting More Expensive

Legislation, logistics, plain old economics — many factors go into why the toilet paper price keeps creeping up. These are the main ones at the moment.

1. Tariffs and Trade Tensions

The tariff issue is the elephant in the room in 2025. The changes significantly influence the price of toilet paper.

Sweeping tariffs, including a 10% levy on all imports and higher rates for certain countries, are making production difficult. The traditional U.S. toilet paper industry relies heavily on Canadian softwood pulp as a toilet tissue material.

Analysts say that if tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber reach 27% or higher, sawmills could close. That reduces pulp availability, likely causing toilet paper shortages and price spikes.

Meanwhile, tariffs on Chinese goods are bad news for bamboo toilet paper manufacturers. China exports 70% of the world's bamboo and holds the most bamboo resources in the world. The average U.S. tariff on Chinese goods is 124% (as of April 2025).

That’s about 40 times higher than before the original U.S.-China tariff tug-of-war began in 2018. The looming issue of fresh inflation is a real possibility. And changes in the tariffs arena are challenging to predict.

2. Supply Chain Problems

As if tariffs don’t leave a big enough dent, these supply chain problems converge to raise toilet paper prices:

Housing market slump. A sluggish real estate market leads to less demand for lumber and sawmills. Pulp, a lumber byproduct, is less available.
Sawmill closures. Demand for lumber declines. Sawmill shutdowns result, further constricting the supply line.
Global shipping delays. With port congestion and container shortages, international pulp movement takes longer. Even when pulp's available, it takes longer or costs more to get.
Labor shortages. Fewer forestry and manufacturing workers slow pulp production, packaging and transportation.
Energy and fuel costs. Paper mills can take a lot of energy to run. Higher electricity and fuel prices raise the cost to process pulp into TP.

As pulp becomes harder to get, process and move, its price inches up. Higher production costs pass on to you in the form of more expensive toilet paper rolls.

3. Shrinkflation

Ah, shrinkflation — one of those words you hate to even read.

It's one of the sneakiest drivers of higher toilet paper prices and particularly frustrating for you. Instead of raising prices outright, brands reduce the quantity of product per package while keeping the price the same.

Sometimes they even increase the cost. Either way, you pay more per toilet paper sheet without necessarily realizing it.

For example, a popular household toilet paper brand raised its cost by about $3 between 2019 and 2024. It also cut the number of rolls per sheet by more than 40. This isn't an isolated case.

Shrinkflation has accounted for about 10% of the higher price of paper goods over the past four years. Packaging and branding don’t change. You don't always notice the difference until you're unexpectedly out of toilet paper faster than usual.

Note. We’re committed to sending you the same amount of top-quality bamboo toilet paper every time you buy it at Save Trees. No stealthy tactics, no corner-cutting, no toxins.

4. Greater Demand

We don't have to remind you of the crazy rush on toilet paper during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It had ripple effects. Besides stock-up mania, the pandemic raised awareness when it comes to hygiene. That awareness has persisted — the global TP market should reach almost $75 billion by 2033.

The pandemic also sped the shift toward shopping online for toilet paper. E-commerce platforms are easy to use, and you can opt for subscriptions so you never come up short.

The hygiene focus drives demand for higher-quality toilet paper: soft, absorbent and free of harsh chemicals. High-quality toilet paper brands can reach you online rather than scramble for space on supermarket shelves alongside budget brands.

So, better toilet paper is simpler for you to find and buy online — why is it more expensive? Basic demand. When premium toilet paper costs more to produce and people still want it, prices go up.

5. Premiumization

You want comfortable, effective toilet paper. That's a given. But primo TP is in greater demand now than it’s been in the past.

To meet that demand, brands lean into premiumization. It’s widespread, even in must-have commodities like toilet paper. Triple-ply sheets, embossed textures, scents and lotions work their way into your toilet tissue.

The drive for top-shelf products is especially big in America. Comfort can outweigh cost, even amid inflation. The strategy works.

You're sometimes willing to pay more for top-tier toilet paper, like you would for tasty coffee or effective skincare products. Cleanliness, softness and sustainability are all key to how you choose your TP brand.

Essentially, the price of toilet paper reflects what you associate it with: comfort, hygiene and values, not just efficacy. It's not generic — it's a lifestyle product that aligns with your values.

Premiumization isn’t inherently a bad thing. But it does help explain how demand fuels higher toilet paper prices.

Toilet Paper Prices Timeline

We’ve come a long way since leaves and free magazines. Let’s walk down memory lane to see how toilet paper prices have changed since the ’80s.

1980s. Pulp is easy to get and process. About $2.60 buys you six toilet paper rolls.
1990s. Quilted and multi-ply options debut. Standard TP costs about $3.50 for a 12-roll pack.
2000s–2010s. Inflation hits in the late ’90s, and household paper commodity prices rise by 132.4%.
2020. The pandemic strikes, and one unit of toilet paper costs around $7.90.
2021–2023. Toilet paper pricing stays pretty constant, with clogged supply chains, high transportation costs and pulp shortages.
2024. Toilet paper prices increase by an average of 20%.
2025–Onward. Prices continue to increase. The average person uses 24 pounds of TP a year.

And those factors driving up the cost of toilet paper show no signs of slowing.

What the Higher Cost Means for You

What are you supposed to do when a need as basic as toilet paper soars in cost? Look for transparency in packaging and pricing, no matter what. That means clearly labeled sheet counts, honest sustainability claims and zero shrinkflation tactics.

Your toilet paper should be what it claims to be, including the factors influencing its cost. You aren’t in it just to save money — you want more value from your purchase.

It’s not all keen shopping. People are changing how they buy:

Shift to discount toilet paper brands, opting for lower prices and lower quality.
Buy in bulk via warehouse clubs or online retailers, taking advantage of subscriptions’ lower price per unit.
Try reusable hygiene products, like bidets and washable fabric wipes.
Stick with or switch to eco-friendly alternatives like bamboo toilet paper, prioritizing values.

You know which way we lean — we hold our ethics and dedication to the Earth dear. That’s why we encourage you to go biodegradable in your toilet paper. You reduce deforestation and support green living without giving up comfort and quality.

Find the Green Middle Ground With Save Trees

Sometimes the scope of the toilet paper pricing situation seems bleak. It’s not all doom and gloom! You don’t have to choose between your wallet, your ethics and your comfort.

Meet bamboo toilet paper from Save Trees. We don’t use harsh chemicals or plastic packaging — we do use renewable resources and transparent labeling. Our tree-saving premium bamboo toilet paper is plush, absorbent and biodegradable.

Bamboo grows faster than trees and takes less energy and water to process. It's a soft, clean and smart option for your eco-conscious household or business.

No shrinkflation. No greenwashing. Simply top-quality renewable toilet tissue. We offer bundles, bulk orders and subscriptions shipped straight to your door. And your purchase makes a difference!