Welcome to the first of our articles looking at tissue paper: its many uses, the features of different types of tissue paper, and the industries that distributors supply with bulk tissue paper for customer use. This time around, we’re looking at the most common types of tissue paper, from general clean-up products to bulk bathroom tissue.
Imagining a world without tissue paper is pretty hard. It’s in every bathroom, from homes to offices to restaurants – even on airplanes and trains. It’s used as packing material for everything from shoes to soaps. It’s even mixed with other materials to create wiping and drying solutions for a range of industries. If you’re a distributor of bulk toilet tissue, understanding the difference between 1-ply bath tissue, 2-ply bath tissue, and the uses of 4-ply tissue can help you create a better relationship with your clients.
The Many Types of Tissue Paper
All types of tissue paper have one thing in common: they’re all made from organic fibers, usually cellulose obtained from pulping wood or other paper products. Because of this, there are plenty of sustainable options when it comes to bath tissue, as recycling used paper into tissue is relatively simple. Sometimes, tissue is combined with other materials such as plastic webbing to strengthen it. This makes it more useful for tougher cleaning applications.
Tissue comes in single ply, 2-ply, 4-ply, and many more thicknesses. Each ply means a single sheet of tissue, which is usually very thin, very soft, and very absorbent. Facial tissues, the kind you use to blow your nose or wipe off makeup, are usually 2-ply tissues with a focus on softness. 2-ply bath tissue will also be soft and comfortable to use, but the main feature here is usually absorbency.
Tissues can also be used for a variety of janitorial purposes, including wiping down wet glass, polishing, and mopping up spills. These types of tissues are often strengthened by mixing the tissue paper with plastics or other synthetic materials. This makes them less prone to tearing, whilst retaining the absorbency of the tissue.
Industries That Use Tissue Paper
Window cleaners need tissue paper that can dry freshly cleaned windows to a streakless finish. This applies to other jan/san applications too, and also to the auto industry.
The hospitality industry uses a range of 2-ply bath tissues in restaurants and hotels, as well as tissue paper for cleaning, drying, mopping, and more.
In the healthcare and medical industry where hygiene is of paramount importance, disposable tissue paper is a must. Facial tissues, tissues for wiping up spills or cleaning with industry-specific chemicals, and tissues in the bathrooms of facilities like hospitals and care homes need to be high-quality and absorbent as well as comfortable to use for those who might be in pain or have mobility issues.
Of course, every industry that employs people uses bathroom tissue. Any customer you have that buys other products from you is an opportunity to discuss bathroom tissue requirements. If they don’t already buy from you, can they talk to you about what their current supplier is providing? Berk can help you find competitive bath tissue options for a variety of industries, helping you engage your customers more effectively.
What Features Make Effective Tissue Paper?
The primary feature for most tissue paper applications is absorbency. Absorbency is achieved via the material itself, paper, and the surface area of each sheet of tissue. Some tissue paper is patterned or flocked to increase the surface area. If you run your finger across the surface of bath tissue, it feels soft yet textured. That’s evidence that the tissue paper has a high surface area and will be effective at absorbing liquids.
Softness is another desirable feature for bath tissue. Tissue paper is sometimes “crêped,” which means the paper is placed against a flat yet soft surface, which is then slightly contracted to shrink the tissue paper without overly distorting its shape. This makes each sheet of tissue soft and malleable and more comfortable to use.
Tissue paper is also measured in thickness, weight, or caliper. Heavier tissue paper is better for cleaning and janitorial purposes.
Berk and You: Meeting Your Customers’ Needs
Berk provides bulk bathroom and cleaning tissues in a variety of configurations to distributors like yourself. If you know your customers’ needs, we can find the right bulk tissue to keep them coming back to you again and again. Our focus is on providing a personalized approach, finding out what will support you as a distributor, and helping you connect with your tissue customers to better understand their needs.
Our low-lint tissue products like
Scrim come in 2-ply or 4-ply tissue options. The tissue is combined with a plastic web for extra strength, making it an absorbent and quick-drying option for glass, stainless steel, or other surfaces that need to be cleaned and dried to a shine. Our 1-ply bath tissue or 2-ply bath tissue comes in a range of roll sizes, as you’d expect. But, we also have options on the core size, making it easier to match the right rolls to your customers’ tissue dispensers.
If you’ve got questions about becoming a paper product distributor for Berk,
call us today and find out more. We want you to succeed and will share our wealth of experience in bulk tissue and other paper products to help you get ahead on your journey as a distributor.
