Plastics Community Responds to the COVID-19 Outbreak

When the going gets tough, the tough get going...and so do the helpers. The pandemic is the toughest challenge this and most countries have faced from public safety and economic standpoints in a long time.

However, there are points-of-light examples piercing the present pandemic-induced darkness as the plastics community rallies to cope and assist. As far as the latter, here are four fresh examples:

Cooperative Italian project protects frontline workers

High-performance nonwovens specialist RadiciGroup, Bergamo, Italy, provided 10,000 meters/32,808 feet of fabric for the production of gowns, caps and shoe covers to protect doctors, nurses and healthcare workers battling the coronavirus. Local company Plastik SpA laminated RadiciGroup nonwovens’ with a special film that makes the fabric breathable and anti-bacterial before tests of the material for medical use were performed and validated at Centrocot in Varese. Area garment makers immediately became engaged in the production of the garments.

The first 5,000 gowns will be donated to nearby Papa Giovanni XIII hospital.

Donation of Protective Masks

The Dukane Team in Prague, Czech Republic, leveraged the company’s ultrasonic equipment to weld plastics to manufacture more than 10,000 protective masks that are being donated to the most at critical-need organizations that include hospitals, first responders, nursing homes, and others.

See also Thermoformers Step Up to Produce Protective Gear for Healthcare Workers.

Donation of Sanitizer Films

Business Applications Manager Wolfgang Abele of biaxially-oriented films supplier Flex Film USA tells PlasticsToday it will donate films for single- and multi-use flexible sachet packaging/pouches for hand sanitizers or other relevant products in the fight against COVID-19.

Chinese-Assisted Disposable Mask Acquisition and Donation

FRX Polymers Inc., a global supplier in polymeric halogen-free flame retardant (FR) solutions based in Chelmsford, MA, joined forces with the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL) in Lexington, MA, in reaching out to Chinese suppliers of personal protection equipment (PPE) and acquired disposable masks through generous donations from Lexington residents and support from FRX Polymers. The purchased masks were donated to nursing homes and frontline medical and health workers.

Keeping Business Running.

Other companies are supporting companies that are still operating in some capacity.

Virtual Press Checks

In late March, C-P Flexible Packaging introduced Virtual Press Check Capabilities that allow customers in critical infrastructure industries including shelf-stable foods and cleaning products to conduct press checks and approve graphics remotely. The system includes sophisticated light booths and HD 4k webcams.

“The equipment is for all of our manufacturing locations,” Marketing Manager Amanda Dahlby tells PlasticsToday. “We have been testing it for more than a week, and the system is operational and ready to go. We hope that customers will begin taking advantage of this service immediately.”

R&D/Leverage promises to prioritize requests in essential areas including for customers involved with products and packaging used in protecting the health of the public, especially rigid plastics.  If customers need tooling for bottles that are used for hand sanitizer or disinfectants or if they have injection-molded products that are being impeded by this crisis, they can email [email protected]

We’ll continue to post relevant content on the pandemic and all topics of interest to the plastics community.

And there's a whole lot more related news. Since February 5, PlasticsToday has posted these COVID-19-centered articles starting with the latest:

Thermoformers Step Up to Produce Protective Gear for Healthcare Workers

Dow and Ineos Make Hand Sanitizer to Fight COVID-19

Formlabs Is 3D Printing More than 100,000 COVID-19 Test Swabs Daily

Plastics Processors, Mold Makers Deemed Essential during COVID-19 Outbreak

Coronavirus Forces Rethink on Plastic Bag Bans

Ford Pitches in to Fabricate Face Shields, Respirators, Ventilators

HP, Carbon, and Makers of All Stripes Enlist to Combat Shortages of Medical Equipment

Bringing the U.S. 'Arsenal of Health' to Bear Against COVID-19

3D Printing of Medical Face Masks Accelerates

Tessy Plastics Gives $2K to All Employees as Layoffs Loom

Plastics Workers Unsung Heroes in Battle against COVID-19

Updated: OEM Threatens to Sue Startup that Saved Lives by 3D Printing Medical Valves

Talent Talk: Hiring Strategies in the Time of Coronavirus

Coronavirus Exposes Known Unknowns in the Supply Chain

Who Knew? The Reusable Coffee Cup in the Age of Coronavirus Is a Really Bad Idea

Batman-Inspired Shield Would Protect Wearers from Coronavirus

Coronavirus-Fueled Fears of Supply-Chain Shortages Worry OEMs

FDA: Coronavirus Could Lead to Shortages of Critical Medical Products

Could Single-Use Plastics Help Prevent a Pandemic?

Coronavirus protection using repurposed packaging