Every time you toss that massive pack of Kirkland toilet paper into your Costco cart, you’re participating in one of the biggest bathroom tissue operations in America. With over one billion rolls sold each year, Costco’s private-label toilet paper has become a household staple for millions of families. But have you ever wondered who actually makes this budget-friendly bathroom essential? The answer might surprise you, as Costco doesn’t own a single toilet paper factory.
Multiple manufacturers produce Kirkland toilet paper
Costco takes a different approach than most retailers by partnering with several major paper manufacturers to produce its Kirkland-brand toilet paper. The biggest name behind those giant packages is Georgia-Pacific, an American company that also makes Angel Soft and Quilted Northern. These manufacturers already have the facilities, equipment, and expertise to produce millions of rolls efficiently, so Costco doesn’t need to build its own factories. This arrangement allows Costco to keep prices around 21 cents per 100 sheets, which is roughly half what you’d pay for premium brands like Charmin.
The manufacturing partnerships aren’t limited to one company. Sofidel, a European paper products manufacturer, also produces some of Costco’s toilet paper. Additional suppliers include Clearwater Paper, Procter & Gamble, and several smaller paper companies both inside and outside the United States. Your local Costco might stock toilet paper from different manufacturers than another location across the country, and the suppliers can change over time based on availability and pricing agreements. This explains why some shoppers notice variations in the product’s texture or quality depending on when and where they purchase it.
The raw materials come from Canadian forests
Most Kirkland toilet paper sold in the United States starts its life in Canada’s boreal forest, one of the largest forest ecosystems on Earth. The wood harvested from these forests gets processed into pulp within Canada before being manufactured into the finished rolls you buy at Costco. This sourcing strategy makes sense geographically, as Kirkland, Washington—the birthplace of Costco and namesake of the Kirkland brand—sits not too far from the Canadian border. The boreal forest contains billions of trees that can be converted into the virgin wood fibers used in toilet paper production.
The manufacturing process begins with logs being stripped of their bark and cut into small chips. These chips get cooked in a chemical solution that breaks down the wood into individual fibers, creating a pulp. The pulp is then washed, bleached, and pressed onto large screens where water drains away, leaving behind thin sheets of paper. These sheets get dried, pressed with textured rollers to add softness, and wound onto enormous rolls before being cut into the individual rolls you see on store shelves. Kirkland toilet paper typically features a 2-ply construction, meaning two layers of paper are pressed together for added strength and comfort.
Costco keeps manufacturer details intentionally vague
If you’ve tried to figure out exactly who makes your Kirkland toilet paper, you’ve probably noticed that Costco doesn’t make this information easy to find. The company maintains a policy of not publicly disclosing which specific manufacturers produce which products under the Kirkland name. This secrecy serves multiple business purposes for Costco. By keeping manufacturer identities under wraps, they prevent shoppers from simply buying the same product directly from the manufacturer at a potentially lower price. It also gives Costco flexibility to switch suppliers without consumers noticing or caring about the change.
Industry insiders and curious consumers have pieced together information about Kirkland’s manufacturers through various means, including analyzing packaging details, comparing product specifications, and tracking shipping information. The packages themselves offer few clues—you’ll find an FSC Mix certification label and “Made in USA” or “Made in Canada” designations, but no mention of the actual company that produced the rolls. This strategic ambiguity has sparked countless online discussions on platforms like Facebook and Reddit, where shoppers share theories about manufacturing changes based on perceived differences in softness, thickness, or how quickly the rolls run out.
Quality varies depending on your location
The quality of Kirkland toilet paper you experience might differ from what your friend across the country purchases, even though the packaging looks identical. Since Costco works with multiple manufacturers and different warehouses stock products from different suppliers, consistency isn’t guaranteed. Some shoppers rave about their Kirkland toilet paper, praising its softness and durability. Others complain that recent purchases seem thinner or less absorbent than what they bought a year ago. These aren’t just subjective opinions—they might reflect actual differences in the manufacturing source.
Consumer Reports tested popular toilet papers and described Kirkland as “cheap and linty” compared to premium brands. A reviewer from Canada’s The Globe and Mail called it “a hard pass.” However, plenty of satisfied customers continue buying it year after year, suggesting that quality perceptions depend partly on personal preferences and partly on which manufacturer produced your particular package. The toilet paper typically uses virgin and recycled paper fibers mixed together, though the exact ratio can vary. Some versions include a light citrus scent, while others are completely fragrance-free, again depending on the manufacturing source and location.
The price remains hard to beat
Whatever minor quality concerns exist, Kirkland toilet paper’s main selling point remains its incredibly competitive pricing. At roughly 21 cents per 100 sheets, it costs less than half what you’d pay for top brands like Charmin, which runs over 40 cents per 100 sheets. For a family going through multiple rolls each week, this price difference adds up to significant savings over the course of a year. A typical Kirkland package contains 30 mega rolls, providing enough toilet paper for several months for an average household, which means fewer shopping trips and less worry about running out.
The bulk packaging that Costco is famous for contributes to these low prices. By selling in large quantities, Costco reduces packaging costs per roll and streamlines the entire supply chain from manufacturer to consumer. The downside is that you need adequate storage space for that enormous package—it might fill half your shopping cart and require a dedicated spot in your garage, closet, or pantry. You’ll also need a Costco membership to access these prices, which costs between $60 and $120 annually depending on the membership level. For frequent Costco shoppers buying multiple household items, the membership pays for itself quickly through savings on toilet paper alone.
The FSC Mix label has specific meaning
You’ll notice an FSC Mix certification on Kirkland toilet paper packages, but what does this actually mean for the product you’re buying? The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that develops sustainability certifications for forestry operations worldwide. However, FSC Mix is their lowest level of certification, indicating that the toilet paper comes from a combination of sources: some sustainably managed forests, some recycled wood products, and some wood that isn’t from certified sustainable forests. Essentially, it’s a mixed bag rather than a guarantee of sustainability.
This certification means you’re getting a product made partly from virgin wood fibers rather than 100% recycled materials. The wood comes from Canadian forests that may have existed for thousands of years, providing habitats for numerous species. While some of this wood is sourced responsibly, the FSC Mix designation acknowledges that not all of it meets the highest sustainability standards. For shoppers specifically looking for recycled toilet paper options, brands like Seventh Generation, Green Forest, and Marcal offer products made entirely from recycled paper fibers, though they typically cost more than Kirkland and may not be available in the same bulk quantities.
Paper manufacturing follows similar steps across brands
Whether you’re buying Kirkland, Charmin, or another brand, the basic manufacturing process remains fairly consistent across the toilet paper industry. Trees get harvested, debarked, and chipped into small pieces. These wood chips undergo cooking in chemical solutions that break down the lignin binding the wood fibers together, leaving behind cellulose pulp. The pulp gets thoroughly washed to remove chemicals, then bleached to achieve that bright white color most consumers expect. Some manufacturers use chlorine for bleaching, while others opt for chlorine-free alternatives that are considered less harmful.
After bleaching, the pulp is diluted with water and spread onto massive screens or fabric belts where gravity and suction remove most of the moisture. The resulting thin sheets pass through heated rollers that press out remaining water and compress the fibers together. To add the soft, quilted texture that makes toilet paper comfortable to use, manufacturers use embossing rollers with raised patterns. For 2-ply products like Kirkland, two sheets get pressed together with the embossed patterns aligned. The finished paper winds onto enormous parent rolls weighing several tons, which then get cut into the standard 4-inch wide rolls consumers buy, wrapped in packaging, and shipped to warehouses and stores.
Supply can fluctuate during high demand
Remember the toilet paper shortages during 2020? Costco’s Kirkland brand wasn’t immune to supply chain disruptions that left shelves empty across the country. The massive demand for toilet paper combined with panic buying created challenges for manufacturers trying to keep up. Even though toilet paper production facilities ran around the clock, the surge in demand exceeded their capacity. Costco’s reliance on multiple manufacturers helped somewhat, but when everyone simultaneously increased their toilet paper purchases by 40% or more, no supply chain could immediately adapt.
These supply challenges revealed the complex logistics behind getting toilet paper from forest to bathroom. The manufacturing process itself takes time—from harvesting trees to producing finished rolls requires several weeks. Distribution adds more time, as products must be transported from manufacturing facilities to regional warehouses and then to individual Costco locations. During normal times, this system works efficiently because demand is predictable and steady. But when demand spikes unexpectedly, the entire pipeline needs time to catch up. Costco implemented purchase limits during shortage periods to ensure more customers could get at least some toilet paper rather than a few customers hoarding entire pallets.
Alternatives exist for different priorities
While Kirkland toilet paper works well for budget-conscious shoppers prioritizing value and convenience, other options better serve specific needs. If softness ranks as your top priority, premium brands like Charmin Ultra Soft or Quilted Northern Ultra Plush deliver noticeably more cushiony comfort, though you’ll pay double or triple Kirkland’s price. For septic system safety, Scott 1000 sheets per roll offers a product specifically designed to break down quickly, reducing the risk of clogs and backups. Families with sensitive skin might prefer unscented, dye-free options like Seventh Generation, which also appeals to shoppers wanting 100% recycled content.
Some consumers have moved away from traditional toilet paper entirely by installing bidets or Japanese-style electronic toilets that use water for cleansing. These alternatives have surged in popularity in recent years, offering potential long-term savings and reducing toilet paper consumption by 75% or more. You’ll still need some toilet paper for drying, but a single roll can last weeks instead of days. Basic bidet attachments cost as little as $30 and install on existing toilets without requiring plumbing modifications. For shoppers who must buy from Costco but want different options, the warehouse also stocks other brands periodically, though Kirkland typically offers the best value per sheet.
Understanding how Kirkland toilet paper gets made reveals the complex network of manufacturers, forestry operations, and supply chains working behind the scenes to keep bathroom essentials stocked at Costco. While the product might not win awards for luxury or sustainability, it delivers reliable functionality at a price point that makes sense for millions of households. Whether you stick with Kirkland or explore alternatives depends on weighing factors like cost, quality, storage space, and personal values against the practical reality that everyone needs toilet paper, and buying it shouldn’t require taking out a second mortgage.
