Portable Sanitation Association International

ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION JUNE 24, 2020 Page 3 Understanding the Supply Chain for Sinks and Sanitizer…continued from page 1 Continued on page 11 For the hand sanitizer supply chain, we called on the expertise of: • Corey Morton, Walex Products Company, Inc. of Wilmington, North Carolina • David Roncadori, J & J Chemical Company of Crawford, Georgia For the hand wash sink supply chain, we received valuable input from: • Sam Cooper, PolyJohn Enterprises of Whiting, Indiana • Mat Schenk, TSF Company, Inc. of Evansville, Indiana Hand Sanitizer The initial worldwide shortages of hand sanitizer compelled businesses which were manufacturing other products to temporarily cease making some of their product line and switch to producing sanitizer. In the US, Pernod Ricard, the producer of Absolut Vodka and Jameson Irish Whiskey, converted facilities to produce hand sanitizer as did other US distilleries and breweries. In France, the parent company of the famous design firm, Louis Vuitton, turned its perfume factories into sanitizer manufacturing. In the United Kingdom, Unilever adapted one of their deodorant manufacturing lines to produce sanitizer. These examples demonstrate both that the worldwide demand for hand sanitizer is overwhelming and that suppliers are striving to respond. Corey Morton of Walex shared his observations and experience with this shortage. "Basically, in the first months of the pandemic—March and April—we sold as much sanitizer as we did in all of 2019." He has seen statistics that suggest demand is roughly three times the manufacturing capacity that existed before the pandemic. Clearly this situation was just as surprising as the COVID-19 pandemic itself. As a result of the immediate need by hospitals and other health related entities, the "alternate sources" of sanitizer as described above became necessary. Corey did acknowledge the contribution of hand sanitizer by breweries and other entities during these unusual time, but cautioned against the quality of some of the products. "The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have stringent requirements as to acceptable levels of ingredients and quality controls," Corey reminded us. He went on to say that operators should, "make sure that the product that you use is based on the FDA-2020-D-1106 formulation." The FDA has issued temporary approval for manufacturers based on these standards. Alcohol content in hand sanitizer is another issue. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) uses a standard of 60 percent alcohol in an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Most products contain between 60 percent and 80 percent alcohol. According to Corey, "let the buyer beware" when purchasing these products. With so many new providers, it is important to make sure you are buying sanitizer with enough alcohol. You should also be aware that variations between labeling and actual content could occur. There are more considerations in this supply chain than the ingredients themselves. "Accessory items such as trigger sprayers and one-ounce pumps are currently in very short supply," Corey observes. Corey Morton Wolf Spirit Distillery in Eugene, Oregon makes sanitizer from its Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka.

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