Iggesund on the COVID-19 pandemic

How to ensure that production facilities can continue to operate

We are taking numerous measures to ensure that we can continue to run our production in Sweden and the UK. Read more about them here.

Ensuring continuous production

Iggesund Paperboard’s operations in Sweden and England have not been directly affected by this outbreak. With numerous mitigating actions concerning our mill operations and even more in the supply and demand planning stage, we believe we will be able to run our production throughout this pandemic crisis. The actions include:

• A strict sick leave policy: any corona-related symptoms qualify for paid sick leave.
• International travel restrictions for all our personnel, but also limited travel within the countries.
• A restricted meeting policy to reduce the number of physical meetings and limit the number of participants when physical meetings are essential.
• Increased cleaning routines to disinfect where possible. Sanitizing material made available to all employees.
• Reducing the number of external visitors to a bare minimum and observing maximum hygiene and distancing measures for the visits that are still deemed necessary.

Continuously evaluating the potential impact on the sourcing of our raw materials – we maintain a regular dialogue with our suppliers to work proactively on this matter.

How to ensure deliveries to our customers

Packaging and paperboard are vital during the pandemic. We are working hard to ensure deliveries are not disrupted. Read more here.

Ensuring customers receive their deliveries

Most countries have implemented restrictions in relation to the coronavirus situation, and this initially triggered delivery issues. The situation has since improved, but, like many other industries and companies, Iggesund Paperboard still faces issues within its supply chain, which means that our ability to deliver paperboard with normal lead times might be impacted. However, all parties involved in our supply chain are doing their utmost to meet customers’ requirements.

Within the EU we are supported by the implementation of green lanes at the borders, which reduce border control waiting times. Packaging is classed as a vital product and should therefore be prioritised.

When it comes to markets further away from our production sites; e.g. the US and Asia, freight and local stocks of our paperboard have been secured. Furthermore, in the US, all our third-party converting sites are up and running enabling us to offer deliveries of our paperboard with standard lead times. 

How to ensure our products are safe

How does the virus affect the paperboard?

Ensuring safe products

The production of our paperboard products is fully automated and normally there is no physical interaction between our operators and the product. Under the current conditions, further instructions are in place to reduce any manual handling of the paperboard to an absolute minimum.

After the production, the paperboard is cut down into smaller reels or sheeted and packed onto heat-treated pallets. Reels and pallets are then covered with plastic wrapping before leaving the mills. As in the case with the production, this process is fully automated and involves minimal interaction between our operators and the paperboard.

The paperboard is delivered to our customers either by ship, truck or rail, depending on where in the world they are located. It is important to note that no paperboard reaches a customer earlier than 10 days after production; normally the period from production to delivery at the customer’s is significantly longer than that.

Given the general uncertainty around the virus, below are some facts about the virus and how they relate to our manufacturing process.

Coronavirus and temperature

Several studies show that the coronavirus is sensitive to high temperatures (above 50 °C). A Chinese study concluded that: Heating can efficiently eliminate the viral infectivity of the coronavirus.

Link to US National Center of Biotechnology Information

Coronavirus life span

According to a recent scientific study, the coronavirus has a lifespan of maximum 24 hours on cardboard (paperboard). The study concludes: “On cardboard, no viable SARS-CoV-2 was measured after 24 hours”.

Link to New England Journal of Medicine

Heat exposure in process

Our pulping processes are completely contained and as the wood raw material is made into pulp it is heated to temperatures above 80 °C for a prolonged period of time. During the manufacturing of the paperboard products the pulp is repeatedly exposed to temperatures well above 100 °C.