For the packaging industry, it has been an exciting time since the global pandemic began. There have been significant material shortages and unprecedented cost hikes, and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is increasing demand for cheaper plastic crates and pallets. At the same time, pallets are being cleaned and repaired more frequently to avoid having to buy new materials wherever possible, according to Walter Ahn, Wasto-Pac's managing director.
This German company primarily focuses on the cleaning and repairing of plastic crates and pallets, but they also purchase and trade new ones. "These branches complement each other: some customers who have been having their pallets and crates cleaned and repaired with us for years end up using our trade branch to get new creates and vice versa. This synergy sets us apart within this competitive market," said Ahn.
Walter Ahn has been running Wasto-Pac for ten years. Photo credit: Wasto-Pac GmbH
Avoiding new purchases
The food and retail sectors are some of the largest sales markets for our growing company, adds Ahn. He and his team are getting more and more clients, especially from these branches. "Recycled materials have become more expensive, and new materials' costs are skyrocketing. That's causing several obvious trends: first of all, plastic materials are being cleaned and repaired more frequently to extend their service life and to avoid or postpone the purchase of new crates and pallets. EPAL wooden pallets users, too, are increasingly switching to cheaper plastic versions. At the same time, users in the more expensive plastic segment are also switching to cheaper alternatives."
To serve their customers even better, Wasto-Pac recently updated its website. They developed a search tool that provides targeted price indications and advice. They should also be launching a new webshop at the end of this year. "Our search tool, Paletten.online, is intended to ensure that we can provide part of our service online by basing our advice on specific customer requirements, such as load capacity. When we have done that, all that is left for us to do is to draw up the final quotation. As an independent service provider, our main focus is the customer, not production, and we aren't tied to one particular brand. The flexibility and independence that gives us are great advantages," explains Ahn.
Wasto-Pac will begin by offering 5-10 standard top sellers in its webshop. Depending on how that goes, they will expand this at a later stage.
Acute shortages
Ahn expects the plastic materials' market share to only rise, given the current Covid-19 developments. "Demand from the food sector will increase, and shortages are becoming more acute. Solid service providers are, therefore, greatly needed, especially now," he concludes.
For more information:
Walter Ahn
WASTO-PAC GmbH
4a Wildweg
50374, Erftstadt, Germany
Tel: +49 223 546 54 930
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wastopac.com