And here we thought the alleged bacon shortage was a catastrophe.
According to ABC News, an explosion at a chemical plant in the coastal city of Himeji, Japan has resulted in the possibility of a global diaper shortage.
Nippon Shokubai Co. is one of the world’s largest plants for producing acrylic acid—a primary ingredient used in disposable diapers. They happen to make roughly 20 percent of the world’s SAP—superabsorbent polymers that absorb large amounts of liquid—and maintain a 10 percent global market share of acrylic acid.
Sadly, the chemical plant blast resulted in the death of one firefighter, with 34 employees and first responders also being injured.
ABC News also states that Nippon Shokubai’s spokesman Akira Kurusu confirmed that the company has reached out to other producers of SAP to make sure everyone’s needs are met. However, he couldn’t comment on whether the plant’s closure in Japan would affect global costs and supply.
This will really affect a lot of people. Being that Jay-Z & Beyonce love changing Blue Ivy’s diapers, we wonder how they feel about all of this.