During the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the tissue industry (which was an early beneficiary due to panic buying) has been going the extra mile to help the public get hold of their essential products, both in this country and around the world: Darwen Donation; Charity Grade; Ancient Australian Paper; Kimberly Clark; Virgin. Finally, for those with excess rolls, some ideas about how to entertain yourself Videos.

DARWEN
Darwen business Punjab Paper Converters of Lower Eccleshill Raod in Darwen has donated 2,500 toilet rolls to the town's Food Larder in order to help out needy people and those self isolating. Darwen West ward's Labour councillor Dave Smith said: "I have a contact at the firm and asked if they could help out in any way. They were only too pleased to do so. Big thanks to chief executive Mohammed Arshid and production manager Irfan Akram." www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk (17 May 2020)

SERIOUS TISSUES
There was a time when purchasing toilet paper did not require any thought at all. Then came the coronavirus pandemic and the panic buying of toilet paper across the globe. Now, there is a new approach. Change Please, the social enterprise that works to provide an income for homeless people, has created a new brand of toilet roll called Serious Tissues.

The Serious Tissues are made from 100 per cent recycled paper. Originally intended to launch in the summer and benefit the fight against climate change, the brand has launched several months early and changed its focus to the fight against COVID-19. All of the profit from the sale of the tissues will go to charities helping NHS staff and volunteers.

Profits will be given to the NHS Charities Together COVID-19 Urgent Appeal, the umbrella organisation for around 170 NHS Charity trusts across the country. The money will partly be used to provide wellbeing packs to NHS workers to help them through the long and draining shifts. Some funds will also be used to help offset the cost of travel, food and accommodation for NHS workers and volunteers.

According to Serious Tissues co-founder Chris Baker: “The world has changed rapidly in the past 100 days, so we’ve quickly mobilised and changed our focus from climate change to fighting this terrible pandemic. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen people up and down the country panic buying toilet roll and we believe we can turn this behaviour into a force for good.”

One encouraging offshoot of the coronavirus pandemic is the way that people and businesses are innovating in order to work for the public good. From crowdsourced ventilator designs to repurposing restaurant reservation platforms to reduce crowds at supermarkets, Springwise has seen businesses and innovators work together in many ways to help.
19th May 2020   Website: serioustissues.com (19 May 2020)

AUSTRALIA
Michael has the toilet paper motherload. His shed is literally jam packed with the coveted item. His monumental stash, however, isn't the work of frenzied of panic buying. It was actually started by his dad, Sobi, over 40 years ago.

"Dad looking down right now saying, 'See, I told you so. You are going to need those one day,' and he's absolutely right!" Michael tells A Current Affair, laughing. Michael toured reporter Steve Marshall around his TP tower. He's named it "the jackpot". "Petal rolls, only single ply, but who cares. Dad hoarded these basically back in the day. He must have got them on special," he says.

It wasn't a premonition that induced Michael's father's loo roll hoarding, but something far more basic. "When he migrated here to Australia, him and mum they came with nothing absolutely nothing. So, whenever there was something on special, they would buy a lot of stock so that's basically what's happened here and thankfully he has."

All those toilet rolls aren't to see Michael and his mother Mary's through Armageddon though. They are now giving them away. "I thought to myself, 'Well I'm not going to sell these, I'm not going to profit cause that's not what dad would have wanted,'" he told A Current Affair. "He would have wanted me to give these out to people in need."

Michael initially offered the toilet rolls for free online. "I put up a Facebook post and it went crazy, viral, it shared so many times and so many people. I got hundreds of messages and people asking, desperate for toilet rolls." The reaction was so overwhelming that he's now had to limit people to two rolls each. "Anyone who wants a roll or two, that's desperate that needs it, then I'm happy to give those out Sunday morning 9am Marrickville Woolworths."

Michael and his wife are hoping the coronavirus pandemic can be a time of giving rather than greed. "In this time of crisis, I believe we all have to band together and share what we have. It goes back to the old bible verse love your neighbour as you love yourself."
https://9now.nine.com.au

SHARAaSQUARE (ANDREX)
Andrex®, the UK’s leading toilet tissue manufacturer, commits to donating one million toilet tissue rolls to In Kind Direct.

Andrex® is working in partnership with In Kind Direct to identify and distribute its product donation across thousands of UK charity partners, such as Age UK and food banks, supporting the most vulnerable within communities up and down the country. Charitable organisations can register for free to access these and other essentials with In Kind Direct.

#ShareASquare has been designed to celebrate and support acts of generosity. Andrex® is asking consumers to share their acts of kindness on social media such as: safely sharing products when you have more than enough, calling an elderly neighbour for a daily chat or demonstrating support for key workers, using the campaign hashtag. In return, Andrex®, the UK’s leading toilet tissue brand will donate £1, up to £100,000, for each use of the hashtag between April 6 through June 1 2020. https://www.andrex.co.uk/shareasquare/

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
Virgin Australia will donate thousands of sought-after toilet paper rolls to charity following a “mass shortage of toilet paper throughout Australia” in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Virgin Australia has today flipped April Fool’s Day on its head, turning the airline’s annual prank into a reality,” the airline said in a statement posted on its website.

The Australian carrier, which has cancelled all international flights and cut its domestic capacity by 90 per cent amid the pandemic, said it will “rescue” the much-needed toilet paper rolls from 125 of its grounded aircraft and storage facilities.

The airline will then donate the rolls to vulnerable members of the community through the airline’s community partners, including The Salvation Army. www.businesstraveller.com (April 2020)

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