As reported in our blog, Closures and Liners Shortage, the supply of closures and liners has been severely challenged. While the supply chain will eventually improve, the supply of foil liners is only going to get worse in 2022 due to a global aluminum shortage.

Prior to now, liners had been a cost-effective solution to prevent leaks during transport, maintain product freshness, or provide a tamper-evident seal. However, TricorBraun predicts a need for alternative solutions that perform in place of current foil liners, based on the anticipated aluminum shortage. We recommend a proactive approach that qualifies alternative solutions.

Alternatives for Foil Liners

1. Shift to a non-foil liner if your product allows
2. If your product requires a foil liner, qualify Universal Heat Seal Liners
3. Consider a liner-less closure solution
   The best solution will depend on regulations in your industry and package performance requirements.
• Crab Claw
• Plug Seal
• Tamper-Evident
• Tamper-Evident and Child-Resistant

Partner with us early to determine the best solution for your product. Our team of experts in Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain is able to confirm the alternative solutions are functional via our standard qualification protocols.

Other Considerations

1. Warehouse Agreements - A warehousing agreement will allow TricorBraun to hold foil liners in supply for you, pending other users of foil liners shift to alternative solutions that ease the strain on supply.
2. Shared Forecasts - In addition to your annual forecast, it’s important to share with your sales rep any promotions you might have that could spike sales. The more lead time we have to find solutions to the shortage, the better.

TricorBraun is here to help you navigate this challenging time to ensure there is no pause in your supply of packaging components. Thus, ensuring on-time delivery of your product to its end consumer.