Bornholm municipality cuts toilet paper as budget squeeze deepens

Bornholm Municipality is cutting spending on toilet paper, cleaning and doormats as it seeks nearly 50 million kroner in savings for its 2027 budget, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The municipality has already agreed to larger cuts, including closing childcare centres and public libraries and reducing snow clearing on the island. Politicians have also searched for savings in smaller parts of the budget.

“We are now shaving away the tiny pieces of meat left on the bone,” said Anne Thomas, a Social Democratic municipal politician on Bornholm. She said the measures showed how hard the municipality had already worked to reduce spending over several years.

No toilet paper restocking at weekends

Toilet paper will no longer be restocked at weekends at Nexø Town Hall and Vibegård. Home care services and health clinics operate from the buildings around the clock on Saturdays and Sundays, so employees will have to bring their own toilet paper or hope supplies last until Monday morning.

Friday cleaning and canteen operations at administrative workplaces will also end. The measures are expected to save a total of 330,000 kroner, according to the municipality.

Thomas said the small savings were necessary because combining many minor reductions could protect more important services.

Thinner printer paper

Bornholm Municipality will replace its standard 80-gram printer paper with 70-gram paper, saving 42,000 kroner. The municipality’s printers can operate with paper as light as 60 grams, meaning a further reduction could be considered if more savings are needed in the future.

Doormats will be washed and replaced less often

The municipality will save 300,000 kroner a year by partially ending its doormat-washing service. Only 60,000 kroner will remain in the budget for locations where the need is considered greatest.

The doormats will therefore collect more dirt and be replaced less often, shifting more cleaning work to floors. Thomas said the proposal came from managers within the organisation rather than politicians.

She said the need to make savings in such small areas reflected Bornholm Municipality’s financial situation. Thomas called for greater consideration of rural municipalities, including Bornholm, that do not have the resources to provide the level of services they would like to offer.