Positive FFI Corona balance sheet: supply chain for folding cartons crisis-resistant

The folding carton industry has not been affected. Throughout the course of the pandemic, it was able to ensure the supply of the population with food, pharmaceutical products and other goods for daily use packaged in folding cartons.

"Folding carton manufacturers benefit from the fact that most of their production takes place in Germany and that they are part of a crisis-proof supply chain," explains Andreas Helbig (photo), spokesman for the board of directors of Fachverband Faltschachtel-Industrie (FFI) e.V.. Renewable raw materials such as wood fibers and cellulose or recycled waste paper are used for production - materials that were not in short supply during the pandemic. "In addition, manufacturers have taken extensive precautionary measures to ensure the supply chain of transport and sales packaging throughout," Helbig emphasizes. For example, process-critical suppliers were identified at an early stage and stock levels were increased for all necessary raw materials, consumables and supplies. In this way, the companies were flexible at all times and prepared for possible bottlenecks. For all manufacturers, the top priority was to protect the health of employees at the operating sites.

A particular challenge was to meet an additional demand in addition to the usual production volume. "The folding carton is increasingly in demand as a packaging solution," reports Christian Schiffers, managing director of FFI. "During the pandemic, large quantities of additional folding cartons had to be available in a short time, primarily for food and hygiene products, but also for games and DIY items, for example.

"Both consumers and anyone who came into contact with folding cartons in the supply chain could feel safe about Corona infection. The viruses are not active for long on the inanimate carton surface. During the pandemic, the folding carton also played to its classic strengths: It guarantees the hygienic integrity of the products, which are at the same time protected from damage and spoilage. It is also easy to handle in logistics. Last but not least, folding carton packaging is recyclable in waste paper and thus makes an important contribution to the circular economy.

The great importance of the folding carton industry for the security of supply of the population has long been officially recognized: The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture confirmed in the "KRITIS Ernährung Guidelines" of March 27, 2020, that companies for the production of packaging and packaging materials, together with their suppliers, are treated as equal to critical - and thus system-relevant - companies in the food industry. This is to ensure that the supply chains of the packaging industry are also protected and exempt from possible restrictions on the cross-border movement of goods.

The FFI calls for the Corona experience to be incorporated into the political and social discussion on packaging solutions. "The folding carton has once again proven its advantages as reliable, safe and, above all, sustainable packaging in the pandemic," comments Schiffers.