(New Brighton, Pa.) Were you one of the millions of people who were stuck at home during the “Red Phase” of the Governor’s stay at home orders? Well you could be partially responsible for not being able to find your favorite beer or soda pop the next time you go shopping. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a nationwide shortage of aluminum cans. The fact that people who were under stay at home orders consumed more beer and soda caused an increase in demand for aluminum cans and manufacturers could not keep up with the demand. Another factor that help cause the shortage had to do with certain plastic plants being deemed non-essential business. 

Frank Sparks, Beaver County Radio Program Director, spoke with Mike Fischer, who owns New Brighton Foodland, Beaver Falls Save-A-Lot and Fischer’s Beverage in New Brighton with his brother Ron, and asked him is there a can shortage Locally and what is the cause? Mike explained that there is a plastic sleeve that goes inside of cans and the company that produces them was deemed non-essential in the government shutdown and they could no longer produce the the sleeves and that is what caused the shortage. Fischer also explained he is having problems getting Coors Light in cans at Fischer’s Beverage and when the Pandemic first started they had problems getting Miller Lite in cans. He said at Fischer’s Foodland he has been able to get your core soda pops like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Coke and Diet Coke but beyond that some of the slower non-core items are not available because of the can shortage.  Fischer said he doesn’t expect the shortage to last long and has already seen a rebound in some of the products that were tough to order. 

 

 Manufactures are now taking steps to increase production of cans by building new plants to try and help with the demand. In the meantime plants that produce Aluminum cans are working around the clock to try and catch up.