Ukraine war hits supplies of food packaging material

Switzerland is largely dependent on foreign supplies for food packaging materials. It may start stockpiling them in case of emergencies. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Switzerland is considering emergency stockpiling of plastic packaging as the Ukraine war brings a world shortage of packaging material, reports the NZZ am Sonntag.

Up to now the government has only stockpiled plastic to be able to produce disinfectant bottles. “With the experiences from the pandemic as well as the changed availabilities and strong price developments, the needs are being reviewed,” the Federal Office for National Economic SupplyExternal link confirmed to the paper.

The Ukraine war is causing a meteoric rise in prices for aluminium, tinplate and various types of plastic, reports the NZZ am Sonntag. Switzerland is highly dependent on foreign countries for packaging, and this is a problem in an emergency because unpackaged products can spoil before they reach the consumer, it writes.

Polyethylene (PE) plastic and polystyrene could now be included in the compulsory stock range. Supermarket Migros has already said it is open to the proposal. “We welcome the effort to strengthen Swiss national supply,” it told the paper.