Janette Lais

Using FIBCs in manufacturing, shipping and raw materials facilities is a great way to receive product, move product around the floor and ultimately ship products out of your facility to your customers. However, traditional methods for filling, discharging and transporting FIBCs aren’t always the most efficient – or safe.

It’s no secret that global supply chains are currently facing unprecedented strain. It seems like every day we are seeing news about process increases or shortages of key products ranging from lumber and building materials to cars and trucks. The bulk bag industry has not escaped the current supply chain crisis unscathed. FIBC orders are facing significant delays, with lead times longer than any in recent memory. As stock becomes increasingly harder to come by, bulk bag prices have also seen a significant jump.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far reaching impact on many industries, with the bulk bag industry being no exception. In past blog posts, we discussed some of the ways the pandemic has impacted our industry, including disruptions to the supply chain, delayed production and shipment times, and more. Another impact from COVID that often goes overlooked is the shift in purchasing trends across the bulk bag and packaging industries.

In April 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a massive $330 million agricultural grant designed to help agricultural producers and supply chain organizations recover from the pandemic. The funds are part of the USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers program that launched in March. Far from being a simple aid package, the grant has far reaching goals – and potential impact. Understanding these goals and their potential impact on the agricultural industry, as well as our own industry, is important to the grant’s long-term success and your own future operational planning.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t just disrupted your daily routine and kept millions home from work – it has also profoundly impacted global supply chains. In some instances, supply chains around the world have been ground to a halt, creating a scarcity of common products both in the household and within many industries. However, recent issues with scarcity have equally as much to do with demand as they do with more limited supply.

It’s no secret that 2020 was nothing short of crazy. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly spread across the globe, impacting the lives of almost everyone in the world. Countless industries and businesses faced unforeseen and nearly insurmountable challenges to their daily operations, staff and supply chain. The manufacturing industry was hit particularly hard by the pandemic – material sourcing challenges led to increased lead times, cost increases and other frustrations for organizations focused on the creation of products and goods. As such, many within the manufacturing industry have dubbed 2020[...]

As the FIBC industry continues to expand, more and more use cases are being identified. In fact, it seems like every week we hear about an innovative new use of bulk bags, either for storage or transportation of materials. In addition to new uses for FIBCs, we are also seeing new industries embracing the use of bulk bags, including some that have never used them before.

As the bulk bag industry continues to expand, so do the number and types of industries taking advantage of the products and innovations offered by vendors. It seems like every day, we are learning about new and exciting uses of the product, especially as they continue to prove their value, flexibility and affordability. One industry that is well positioned to benefit from the innovative solutions offered by manufacturers is crumb rubber. Let’s explore the crumb rubber industry, and how it can benefit from flexible intermediate bulk containers.

In a recent article, we introduced one of the newest innovations emerging within the FIBC industry – flame-retardant bulk bags. These bags offer a number of benefits, including their high heat tolerance, flame resistance and compliance with government regulations. While these are valuable benefits, flame-retardant bags also offer a unique option – halogenation.

Continual growth of the bulk bag industry has led to new applications, products and industry use cases. In addition to innovative new products, evolution within the FIBC industry has resulted in improved solutions to old challenges and replacements to existing products.

In recent blog posts, we’ve discussed the ongoing innovations coming from overseas suppliers within the FIBC industry. As this trend towards innovation continues, new and existing users of FIBCs will benefit from better products and better solutions to unique application challenges.

The transport of sensitive materials, such as expensive raw materials to government-regulated substances, is a common occurrence for many bulk bag users. In many cases, these materials are entrusted to third party shipping companies. When entrusting sensitive materials to third party shippers, how can you be sure your materials are not tampered with? Further, how can you be confident that the materials arrive at their destination in the same condition in which they left?

Product innovations within the FIBC industry are occurring on a large scale outside of the United States. Many overseas suppliers maintain and run facilities that meet international standards and are consistently looking for new ways to innovate and create new products for the industry.

The FIBC industry is continually evolving in response to the changing requirements of end users. As the industry evolves, so do the products offered by vendors. At National Bulk Bag, we are continually excited by the new and refined products entering the market. Many of these product innovations offer promising benefits for specific industries and use cases.

We get a ton of questions when speaking to current and potential customers at National Bulk Bag. One of the most common questions is about what a “standard FIBC” is. When it comes to the bulk bag industry, beyond FIBCA, there is no central bag authority that defines standards. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t commonly used construction types and use cases. What is a standard FIBC? Does the industry have defined standards?

As the market for FIBCs has grown and matured over the years, we at National Bulk Bag have learned that different industries use bulk bags for different purposes. However, no matter what your industry or application and/or product, controlling insects in and around your facility can often be a challenge. This is especially true for the food industry where insects and other pests can ruin product produce millions of dollars in damages.

Bulk bags are a versatile, flexible, lightweight, and durable storage and/or transportation vessel. Because of this, there are thousands of various applications across a plethora of industries. However, there are certain industries where it almost seems like FIBCs were made to be used. One of those industries is the supplements industry.

If you’re working with a quality FIBC distributor, chances are they have an available in-stock bag that will work for your product and application. This is generally a fantastic option as it is usually a cheaper option, offers significantly reduced lead times (time from bag purchase to delivery), and can deliver large quantities quickly. However, there are circumstances where an in-stock bag may not be compatible with your operation and/or facility.

At National Bulk Bag, we are constantly striving to help our current and future customers stay safe while using FIBCs in their workplaces and/or production facilities. Part of this effort is a continuing dedication to releasing educational materials (be sure to check out our Official Safety Guide) and promoting other materials from our partners.

As 2019 came to an end and 2020 was just beginning, the world saw a drastic de-escalation in the ever-changing trade war between the United States and China. We wrote about the potential impact the trade war could have back in early 2019 with this post (“Impact of the USA-China Trade War on the FIBC Industry”). At that time, it was impossible to know just how far the trade war would escalate and which products the tariffs would ultimately impact the most.