Quibans 92: Hoarding toilet paper

Quibans 92 – Hoarding toilet paper

From the Daily Telegraph, near the start of the coronavirus pandemic:

Why the UK won't run out of toilet roll

13 March 2020
 As panic over the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, empty shelves where toilet roll once would have been has become a common sight in many supermarkets. Consumers have been stockpiling the bathroom staple, sparking fears that supermarkets could soon be caught short. However,  there might not be any need to panic.

The UK exported $129m (£103m) of toilet roll in 2019 and exports more than it imports.

“As the world’s 11th-largest exporter of toilet roll, at least if our supply routes shut down, we will be able to keep calm, stop exporting, and carry on,” Dr Rebecca Harding of data firm Coriolis Technologies said.

Ireland accounted for $90.4m or ##% of all UK toilet roll exports in 2019 and is dependent on the UK for 80pc of all toilet roll. Dr Harding said the Irish reliance on the UK for toilet roll is evidence of the importance of borderless trade on the island of Ireland.

Questions:

1. What is the exchange rate? 
2. What percentage of UK exports of toilet roll go to Ireland?
3. How much does Ireland spend on toilet roll per year?
4. The population of Ireland is 4.83 million.  How much does each person spend on toilet roll per week?
5. Four sheets of toilet paper cost about 1p.  How many sheets is that per person per day?

Answers:

1. £1 = $1.2524
2. 70%
3. 90.4 million divided by 0.8 = $113 million
4. 45 cents per week
5. 45 cents is about 36p per week.  Divide by 7 to get the cost per day and multiply by 4 to find the number.  20.5 sheets per day.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/03/13/uk-wont-run-toilet-roll/