How Plastic is Coming to the Rescue in the Fight Against COVID-19

The emergence of COVID-19 a year ago turned the world upside down and sent waves through every single industry, in some form or another. Since then, alongside the national effort to stop the spread, the plastic industry has been working tirelessly to aid in the fight against COVID-19 and support medical professionals to help as many people as possible. So, how exactly has the plastic industry come to the rescue and supported the fight against the Corona Virus? How Plastic Helps Us Fight There have been some areas that have been especially important during the fight against COVID. These being the requirements for PPE, the number of available ventilators, and how business owners can make their premises COVID secure. Plastic has been the key solution in every one of these areas and the industry has been working non-stop to support this. As the numbers of infections went up, so too did the demand for products such as: Ventilator components Gloves Aprons Visors Medical waste sacks Sanitiser bottles Screens Food packaging These plastic products allow medical professionals to safely treat patients, businesses to safely open their doors, and customers to safely shop for the items they need. Production Pressures Now the plastic products that are so important in the fight against COVID-19 are not new to the industry, and it has been supplying these for years. However, the speed and urgency at which they are required, especially at the beginning, is far greater than seen before. The industry has been pushed to find new ways of manufacturing the level of supply that is required, without sacrificing quality. This has meant, completely overhauling normal manufacturing schedules. Some manufactures have done this by investing in Intouch i4 Cloud, a software that supports 24/7 production by allowing machines to run unmanned for periods of time. This has meant that the factories can keep production going overnight and through the weekends. INEOS even went as far as to announce the construction of a brand-new manufacturing plant, able to produce 1 million sanitiser bottles a month, to be built in 10 days. It is this ‘no mountain too high’ attitude that has allowed the industry to face the sudden spike in demand, head–on and support the country to continue the fight. It is a credit to the industry as well, to see how well it has come together to support itself during this period. The British Plastics Federation has worked to liaise with the Government to ensure up to date advice is constantly being shared with the industry and UL is offering free Safety Data Sheets (required when manufacturing and shipping sanitiser) as well as pandemic awareness courses. The industry has truly outdone itself and will continue to work as hard as possible to aid in the fight against COVID-19. “The plastics industry is vital in the fight against COVID-19. Despite the challenges every business is facing right now, we have been helping to feed the nation, protect key workers and supply a wide range of essential medical supplies, including components for ventilators. I’m proud of how our industry has stepped up and shown its true colours during this time of crisis.” – Philip Law, BPF Director General. If you’re looking to find out more about our plastic products and the services we offer, contact the Rayda team here.

For more information on How Plastic is Coming to the Rescue in the Fight Against COVID-19 talk to Rayda Plastics Ltd