Consumers are seeking out sustainable tissue, and are willing to pay more
German shoppers – not previously known for their eagerness for change – have embraced a version of the much heralded ‘new normal’ which has emerged after the pandemic. TWM’s Country Report reveal the changing attitudes in this most mature and saturated of markets. Always strong on ecological principles – better hygiene, sustainability, circular and digital manufacturing, and intensified innovation – these are now stronger still.
It has to be at the right price, most of the time. The shock of a 9% inflation rate just a few years ago – now at roughly 2.2% – lingers. But, Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer Lifestyle Survey finds that consumers want principled tissue “even if the price point was higher.”
Another new emphasis is easing out traditional shopping methods: more e-commerce for the best price from the widest range of brands, ordered any time, from anywhere, delivered quickly, setting up subscriptions, and auto-reordering. Yet the report by ResourceWise outlines the “cautious nature” of German tissue makers: existing capacity optimised; no new mills through to 2027, with a net gain of just two machines. Read our Operation Reports to see how they’ve grasped the mood.
Wider Faster Greener – China’s tissue
2024 in China saw 30 companies from 11 provinces, cities and autonomous regions launch capacity with 70 TMs put into operation. ‘Modern production’ capacity increased by around 1.618m tpy. With local consumption saturated, exports dominated. January to November saw a growth of 23.49%, reaching 1.234m tons. TWM carries a summary of the China National Household Paper Industry Association’s (CNHPIA) annual report. It emphasises technology improved manufacturing, product quality, and allowed category segmentation … all under the banner Wider, Faster, Greener.
This ‘modern production,’ in one context, is behind more advanced countries. Two reports in Global News in Brief puts China’s modernisation into perspective. Hengan has boosted its TAD production with a second machine, Toscotec-supplied, at its Fujian HQ. The first came online in 2023. It is the second in all China. The second report is from North America. Irving Consumer Products in Macon, Georgia, is bringing its third TAD machine online to boost ultra-premium production – the third in one company alone.
Quote of the Edition:
Metsä Tissue Chief Executive Esa Kaikkonen offers a timely warning about the dangers of overcomplicating things. New software is coordinating operations across key plants in Europe. He says: “The Tissue MES Solution enables us to manage our mills with data, focusing on correct things, at the right time, and in the right order.”
