Box facial tissue paper, a common household item, is used in abundance. How would consumers choose a model which has good value for money as well as good quality?
A test on various brands of box facial tissue paper conducted by the Consumer Council revealed considerable variations in price, thickness and quality among the samples.
The test covered 20 models of facial tissue paper sold in multi-packs. Each pack consisted of 5 to 6 boxes with price ranging from HK$12 to HK$32.9.
Significant prices differences were observed. The average price per 100 sheets of paper for 3-ply samples ranged from HK$4.6 to HK$7, while that of 2-ply samples varied from HK$2.5 to HK$5.4.
Consumers may also wish to know the thickness and the size of the facial tissue paper they intend to buy. The test found that the samples' weight per square metre, which reflects the thickness of the paper, varied from 22.2 gsm to 46.4 gsm, indicating a difference of more than double. The size of the individual sheet of the samples ranged from 368 cm² to 434 cm², a difference of 18%.
As for paper strength, only one 3-ply sample excelled in the tensile strength tests in both wet and dry conditions. On water absorbency, samples varied in the rate of water absorption.
The test also examined the labelling of the box facial tissue such as number of sheets, paper size, and number of layers (plies) in one sheet. Among the tested samples, 4 out of 20 models were found without the number of plies in one sheet as well as the number of sheets in a box, and only 6 of them indicated the size of the tissue paper.
For samples which indicated number of sheets in each box, 2 were found short of the indicated quantity by 1.3% and 3.3%.
As consumers can hardly tell the quantity of the tissue paper from the packaging of the boxes, suppliers or agents of box tissue are urged to label the products with comprehensive information of the content to facilitate consumers to make informed choice.
The samples were generally well-sealed and all were found in compliance with the Mainland hygiene standard. Neither were the samples found to contain migratable fluorescent materials, a substance which might cause skin allergy.
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