As rising housing and living costs force more Canadians to make difficult choices, Bunzl Canada employees deliver toilet paper to Food Banks Canada to help provide an everyday essential. GNW

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68,000-Roll Donation Helps Food Banks Canada Tackle the Growing Challenge of Hygiene Poverty

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 BURLINGTON, Ontario, Aug. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In recognition of National Toilet Paper Day, Bunzl Canada is making its largest donation to date to help address hygiene poverty across the country. Through its partnership with Food Banks Canada, the national distributor is donating 68,000 rolls of toilet paper, providing a household necessity to individuals and families experiencing financial hardship. The contribution reinforces Bunzl Canada’s commitment to supporting healthier communities while raising awareness of the growing need for hygiene products among vulnerable Canadians.

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Food Banks Canada reports that 24% of Canadians experience food insecurity, an issue worsened by rising housing and living expenses. As costs continue to climb, hygiene poverty is a growing issue as well. Canada’s hygiene poverty survey found that 65% of community facilities such as schools, food banks, and shelters reported that community members they serve went without basic hygiene products more than 10 times within the year in 2025. 72% cited financial insecurity as the leading cause of hygiene poverty.

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“For many Canadian families, the high cost of housing and everyday household expenses leaves little room in the budget for essential hygiene products,” said Margo Hunnisett, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Bunzl Canada. “No one should need to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table and purchasing basic necessities like toilet paper. Through this partnership, and the participation of our generous vendor partners, we’re not only supporting people in need in communities across Canada but raising awareness of the issue of hygiene poverty.”

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Bunzl donated REGARD^® and DuraPlus^® brand toilet tissue, along with generous donations from vendor partners Cascades, Sunset, Essity, Kimberly-Clark Professional, and Kruger. The collective donation was distributed by Food Banks Canada to local food banks across the country.

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“What makes this initiative so meaningful is the collaboration behind it,” said John Howlett, President of Bunzl Canada. “By bringing together Bunzl, our vendor partners, and Food Banks Canada, we’re able to make a greater impact in providing support and dignity to people in communities all across the country. National Toilet Paper Day has become an important opportunity to support Canadians in need while demonstrating what can be achieved when organizations work together toward a common goal.”

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Food Banks Canada’s proven success in executing transformative projects, paired with Bunzl Canada’s commitment to community sustainability and relationships with the industry’s leading paper product vendors, makes this annual collaboration a natural fit. Together, they aim to deliver essential hygiene products to Canadians in need, helping them redirect limited resources toward food, housing, and other necessities.