A system and method for collecting data on individual and aggregate use of toilet tissue or other types of rolled absorbent paper in a public washroom includes a sensing system for sensing one or more characteristics of paper use at a particular dispensing location, and a recording system for receiving and recording data from said sensing system, whereby paper use at the dispensing location can be monitored and studied. The system further analyzes the data to determine such things as the total amount of paper used, the duration of time over which paper is used, the number of discrete pulls on the paper taken by a user and the amount of paper taken by a user per discrete pull.