When it comes to FIBCs, quality is one of the most important aspects to purchasing. Any buyer needs to know that they are getting a quality product from their distributor of choice. Why you ask? Safety. Bulk bags are used to carry thousands of pounds of products and raw materials in facilities all around the world. If a bag fails, people can get hurt. Even worse, if a bag fails under the wrong circumstances, fatalities can occur.
As a buyer, you need to know the bag you’re getting matches the specs on the purchase order, is manufactured by a trusted supplier, and has gone through the proper quality controls and testing procedures. Bottom line: buyers need to be able to trust their distributor is selling them a quality bag. But how?
Start with the Source (aka, the manufacturer)
It goes without saying, but the first step to making sure you’re getting a quality bag is starting with the source (check out this blog post on bulk bag sourcing for more info). If you check out that blog link, you’ll know that the vast majority of bags are manufactured in China and India. Now, there are some exceptions, but unless stated otherwise, you can safely assume the bags you receive were made in Asia.
On the surface there is nothing wrong with that at all. However, the distance between source and consumer can raise some legitimate concerns about quality control. How do you know the manufacturer is reliable, ethical, and manufactures bags that meet the quality criteria needed for safe use?
The key lies not in the manufacturer, but the supplier.
Vetting your Distributor
Your distributor holds the keys to the FIBCs you’re using. In order to know you’re getting a quality product, they need to be vetted. The first steps in vetting your supplier are asking key questions: have they vetted their manufacturer? Have they visited their suppliers? Do they have first-hand knowledge of the facilities used to create the bags they sell?
There simply isn’t any way a distributor can know these things if they haven’t visited their suppliers. A distributor visiting their suppliers is the only way to verify their FIBCs are being manufactured ethically and in clean, quality facilities. Ask your distributor about visiting their suppliers and why that’s important. If they don’t answer or simply can’t, that should be a major red flag.
This concept is especially impactful when purchasing food grade bags as the facilities and processes must meet very specific criteria in order to quality as “food grade” (to learn more about the specific requirements, facilities, and standards to which food grade bags are held, click here). Asking your distributor about the specific nature of food grade FIBC manufacturing can reveal a lot about their expertise in this area.
In the End, Transparency Above All
If there is one theme we can highlight throughout one’s quest for a quality bulk bag, it’s transparency. Does your distributor have transparency in their supply chain? By being open and transparent about their process for sourcing bags, distributors build trust with their customers and through proper vetting, ensure the product they are shipping is up to the quality and thus safe.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading our blog post "Want a Quality FIBC? Vet your Supplier"!
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