>> OVER THE PAST YEAR, YOU MAY
HAVE NOTICED YOUR RECYCLING BINS
AND DUMPSTERS OVERFLOWING WITH
CARDBOARD, THE PANDEMIC LED TO A
SURGE IN DEMAND FOR THE PRODUCT
AND ALL KINDS OF SHIPPING
MATERIALS ESPECIALLY CORREGATED
BOXES, THOSE ARE USED FOR
E-COMMERCE ITEMS AND GOODS.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" QUINN MYERS
HAS MORE HOW THE BOX BOOM IS
BEING FELT ACROSS THE REGION.
>> ON AN EARLY SPRING MORNING AT
THIS SOUTH SIDE RECYCLING YARD,
KEN DUNN IS UNLOADING A MASSIVE
HAUL OF CARDBOARD AND PAPER
PRODUCTS.
DUNN RUNS A RECYCLING NONPROFIT
THAT SERVED THE CHICAGO AREA FOR
DECADES.
>> WE STARTED BY HELPING CREWS
PICK UP CANS AND BOTTLES ON
VACANT LOTS HERE IN THE SOUTH
SIDE PROVIDING JOBS AND MONEY
FOR THEM TO PICK UP AND THEN PAY
THEIR SALARY BY THE MATERIALS WE
COLLECTED.
>> THE COMPANY HAS EXPANDED OVER
THE YEARS TO INCLUDE ALL KINDS
OF MATERIALS.
INCLUDING ONE DUNN SAYS HAS MORE
THAN DOUBLED OVER THE PAST YEAR.
>> THE CARDBOARD FROM HOUSEHOLDS
IT'S JUST PEOPLE ARE BUYING
THESE FLAT SCREEN TV'S SINCE
THEY ARE AT HOME THAT ARE FIVE
FOOT AND THEY COME IN BIG
CARDBOARD BOXES.
A LOT OF BOXES COMING TO HOMES.
>> THOSE TV'S AND A SURPRISINGLY
LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER PRODUCTS,
ARE USUALLY SHIPPED IN
CORREGATED PACKAGING.
MADE UP OF LAYERS OF PAPER WITH
A WAVEY FLUTE IN THE MIDDLE FOR
PADDING.
THE CORREGATED PACKAGING
INDUSTRY HAD A RECORD 2020 AS
PEOPLE STARTED BUYING EVERYTHING
FROM GROCERIES TO PLAYSTATIONS
ON-LINE.
>> IT IS ESSENTIAL TO EVERYDAY
LIVES IT BRINGS US FOOD FROM,
TISSUE, OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE
PANDEMIC PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED
ABOUT TOILET PAPER IT GETS OUR
TOILET PAPER TO US AND
EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN.
>> RACHEL KENYON IS SENIOR
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE FIBER BOX
ASSOCIATION.
OR FBA.
A LOCAL TRADE GROUP THAT TRACKS
SHIPMENTS OF CORREGATED
PACKAGING NATIONWIDE.
>> THE CORREGATED INDUSTRY GROWS
MODERATELY FROM YEAR TO YEAR,
1-2.5% AND WHAT HAPPENED LAST
YEAR WITH MANY THINGS BECAUSE OF
THE PANDEMIC WE SAW A CHANGE IN
BOX PLANT SHIPMENTS.
IN MARCH OF 2020, BOX SHIPMENTS
WERE UP 9% OVER THE PREVIOUS
YEAR OF MARCH.
AND THAT WAS WHEN PEOPLE WERE
DOING A LOT OF PANTRY STOCKING
AND HOARDING OF PRODUCTS
>> THE FBA TRACKED A 3.4%
OVERALL INCREASE IN SHIPMENTS IN
2020 OVER 2019.
AIDED BY A SPIKE IN E-COMMERCE
ACTIVITY AHEAD OF THE HOLIDAY
SEASON.
THE CORRUGATED BOOM HAS BEEN
ESPECIALLY TAXING FOR BOX
MANUFACTURERS LIKE AKERS
PACKAGING IN THE BURNSIDE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> IT'S IMPACTED US IN A GREAT
WAY FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT
BUT IT'S MADE THE BUSINESS
DIFFICULT TO RUN.
>> THE FAMILY RUN COMPANY OWNS
PLANTS ACROSS THE MIDWEST.
BUT SAYS IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE
TO SCALE UP OPERATIONS TO
IMMEDIATE THE FLURRY OF DEMAND.
TO ACCOMMODATE AKERS CONTINUED
INVESTING IN AUTOMATION AND JUST
MORE MANPOWER.
>> WE'RE USING AS MUCH OF THE
CAPACITY IN OUR CENTRAL ILLINOIS
AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN PLANTS AS
POSSIBLE.
WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING OVERTIME
ON A DAILY AND SATURDAY BASIS.
SO WE CALL IT THROWING HOURS AT
IT TO GET MORE PRODUCTION
>> THE BUT COMPANY HAS HAD
TROUBLE FILLING VACANT POSITIONS
AND THE STRAIN OF THE PAST YEAR
LED TO LONGER WAIT TIMES FOR
DISTRIBUTORS WHO RECEIVE BOXES
FROM MANUFACTURERS LIKE AKERS.
>> I THINK IT WILL SORT IT OUT
AS PEOPLE SPEND MORE MONEY ON
VACATIONS AND HOTELS AND LESS
MONEY ON GOODS FOR THEIR HOMES
AND FOOD AND THE INDUSTRY SPENDS
MONEY ON MACHINERY AND
EQUIPMENT, BUT IT'S GOING TO
TAKE THE BETTER PART OF THE
YEAR.
WE REALLY DON'T THINK THINGS
WILL CHANGE UNTIL THE FALL OR
MAYBE UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
>> UNLIKE PLASTIC, CORREGATE
SECOND RECYCLABLE.
THE FDA SAYS THE INDUSTRY'S
RECOVERY RATE HOVERS AROUND 90%.
BACK AT THE RESOURCE CENTER LOT,
KEN DUNN IS EXPECTING THE INFLUX
TO CONTINUE AS RESTAURANTS AND
OTHER BUSINESSES REOPEN AFTER
PANDEMIC SHUTDOWNS.
AND HE WILL BE READY.
>> LOCAL SYSTEMS WITH ALL
RECYCLABLES IS BETTER FOR A
SUSTAINABLE PLANET AND I THINK
IT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF
LIFE FOR ALL COMMUNITIES.
>> FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" I'M