Paperboard helps hospitals and stores amid pandemic

Francisco Castro

June 3, 2020 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) –

Hospitals, grocery stores and shops of all types have had to adapt to a new world besieged by the risk of COVID-19 contagion. They’ve restricted access, limited the number of people in one place and the interactions between individuals, all in an effort to stop the spread of a disease that continues to multiply around the world.

Paperboard producers have responded to these circumstances by innovating, designing and launching a number of recyclable, disposable products meant to keep people safe and meet challenges as they appear.

These products help the medical and retail sector equally, as well as deal with the gruesome realities the world is facing.

For instance, packaging firm Southern Champion Tray launched a disposable face shield for healthcare, sanitation, industrial and food service workers. Made with adjustable, paperboard band and frame, the face shield has a large plastic, panoramic window to allow users a wider view, something the company says frontline professionals had been asking for.

Similarly, paperboard sign and display producer Oppboga Bruk is supplying its Oppboga Resilient range to the Swanline Group, which is producing face shields for healthcare workers in the UK. Water resistant and fully adjustable, Resilient material replaces plastic headbands in the much needed items.

Packaging firm Eco To Go Food Packs also released a disposable Eco Staysafe Shield for protection against coronavirus. The shield frame is made from biodegradable paperboard with anti-mist plastic film and a visor window made of anti-mist treated recyclable polyester.

Jayna Packaging in India has also produced a paperboard medical bed to help amid the shortage of this item during the COVID-19 crisis. Lightweight and recyclable, the beds can be sanitized and even mopped. And DS Smith’s Madrid, Spain, plant donated 10,000 paperboard bedside tables to IFEMA field hospital.

And for those stores allowing customers to shop inside, Canadian specialty coffee glassware maker Kruve has produced counter shields bearing a paperboard frame and polyester film. It is a less expensive option for retailers seeking a temporary alternative to plexiglass and metal installation. The shields can be cleaned with a disinfectant wipe on both sides, require no tools for installation and keep employees behind the counter and the shopper apart, reducing the possibility of droplets transmission between the two.

Iggesund Paperboard is also supplying sneeze guards for the retail industry made by Swedish firm Green Lite and DS Smith to help reduce the spread of coronavirus and promote social distancing in grocery stores. The sneeze guards are 16 mm thick and produced with fiber-based board from Swedboard.

All of these products respond to a pressing need for protection in places visited by large numbers of people, where every bit of extra safety will go a long way.

Francisco Castro is the Paper, Hygiene Products & Publishing editor for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. To arm yourself with the latest market intelligence, contact ClientCare@IndustryIntel.com or call 310-553-0008 if you’re interested in receiving or sharing the IMPACT report with colleagues or partners

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