Many of the supply-chain shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic have one thing in common: a lack of plastic and cardboard containers to put them in.

Throughout much of 2020, consumers experienced serious shortages of everything from hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to yeast and pasta. There were multiple breakdowns in supply, ostensibly caused by a surge of demand (and, in many cases, panic buying). But the actual culprit behind much of the shortfall was an inadequate supply of containers, according to Aaron Mak, a writer for Slate.com. He spoke to packaging companies, the American Cleaning Institute and numerous supply-chain managers to understand why the $900 billion packaging industry couldn’t keep pace with the demand for plastic and paper containers. Hosted by Bob Bowman, Editor-in-Chief of SupplyChainBrain.

Show notes:

Mak’s article, “The Real Reason There Was a Beer, Hand Sanitizer, Yeast and Pasta Shortage.”