Summary
Image of supermarket shelf of Handee Ultra paper towel with a Non-Flushable Customer Notice posted next to it at Blackburn South Woolworths supermarket, 18 May 2020.
This photograph was taken during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Melbourne in 2020. The customer notice references the toilet paper panic buying that happened between late February and May. During this time Australians were buying other paper products like paper towel, tissues and wipes to use instead of toilet paper. Unfortunately flushing these alternative products down the toilet was creating issues in the sewerage system and so the information from the Water Services Association of Australia posted on this notice advises customers not to flush anything other than toilet paper.
Further panic buying happened in June-July 2020 when a second lockdown happened in Victoria due to a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description of Content
Plastic packets of paper towel on supermarket shelving, with yellow paper notice next to it.
Physical Description
Digital colour photograph.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Place & Date Depicted
Blackburn South, Canterbury Road, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 May 2020
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Organisation Depicted
Blackburn South, Woolworths Limited, Blackburn South, Canterbury Road, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 May 2020
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Format
Digital file, JPEG
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Classification
Commerce & retailing, Grocers & supermarkets, Merchandise displays
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Keywords
Photography, Shopping, Epidemics, Retail Sales, Public Health, Consumerism, Toilets, Sewerage Pipes, Toilet Paper, Personal Hygiene, Pandemics, COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Distancing