IDFA continues to demonstrate that the dairy industry has a powerful economic impact – $620 billion in total – on the American economy. Did you know that dairy also indirectly supports unique industries across the nation, like paperboard container manufacturers?

Dairy companies, distributors and retailers support American paperboard container manufacturers in a number of ways. Nearly 7,800 jobs in the paperboard container manufacturing industry depend on spending by the dairy industry or dairy industry employees.

This includes over 7,060 manufacturing jobs that are making containers used in a wide range of dairy products, ranging from the ubiquitous milk carton, to containers for products like ice cream and eggnog, to the cartons and cases that are used to ship these and other dairy products to market. These jobs are the result of purchases directly paid for by dairy companies.

About 730 additional jobs for paperboard container manufacturing employees result from dairy employees and supplier employees purchasing boxes, cartons and other containers for their personal use.

All told, the dairy industry creates $627.9 million in wages and almost $3.7 billion in economic impact for American paperboard container manufacturers.

Dairy Delivers®

IDFA is sharing these deep dives into the data of Dairy Delivers®, its economic impact tool, to demonstrate dairy’s economic power and its ripple effect on other American industries.

Members with questions may contact Dave Carlin, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy, at dcarlin@idfa.org.