The full metal packet

Packaging News
March 2008

It may never be able to reclaim its one-time status as the can-do material, but the ongoing climate change debate could give metal packaging a new lease of life, reports Des King

Aluminium and tinplate represent just over 15% of all applications within the £10bn domestic packaging market: a combined total of 800,000 tonnes per year, produced by 15 UK manufacturers supplemented by a growing level of imports from mainland Europe and lower costbase economies.

Along with that other old stalwart, glass, metal has ceded ground to rigid plastics and flexible film, which collectively now account for £3.2bn of annual UK packaging sales.

In the new, greener world order, however, some of that imbalance might soon be reversed, hopes Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) director Nick Mullen. "The environmental message that we've been trying to get across is beginning to be heard. Metal is a sustainable material: recycled
and infinitely recyclable; economic and highly affordable; safe and trustworthy; and the whole supply chain process is well understood," he says.

Mullen has been particularly encouraged by the planned evolution of the Courtauld Commitment to formulate packaging reduction targets on a more holistic basis, rather than purely focusing on lightweighting: a criterion by which metal is clearly disadvantaged. "The point we've been making to Wrap is that there's a big difference between something that arguably can be recyclable and something that is recycled," he says.

Overseas competition
However, there is a significant difference between recycling rates for steel and aluminium: in 2006 around 57% of steel packaging was recycled, while the rate for aluminium was only 32%. Analysts consider one of the greatest barriers to increased recycling of aluminium packaging to be the fact that aluminium is most widely used for beverage cans, which are often consumed on the go - where no recycling facilities exist. In contrast, steel is used for food and therefore the cans are emptied in the home.

"In any case, lightweighting the primary packaging will often result in increasing the volume of secondary packaging as an unintended consequence. Metal is well placed within the overall environmental debate to gain market share. We think we've got an enormously strong story; what we don't have is the enormously deep pockets to get that story out," says Mullen.

Or, it has to be said, the people on the ground. It's highly probable that the number of UK metal packaging manufacturers will contract, and in the meantime there's stiff competition via imports from China and closer to home with which to contend.

The one UK product sector where metal does hold considerable sway is in beer and soft drinks for the off-trade, accounting for around 8.2 billion cans filled and sold per annum. That makes us the largest beverage-can market in Europe, where the volume of food and beverage can applications has grown by 57% over the past 20 years, while incurring a 20% reduction in the use of virgin material.

With its strong links to Coca-Cola, Rexam has a one-third share in the UK - evenly matched by Crown (through S&N) and Ball Packaging (through InBev and Coors). Certain to attract interest at Interpack will be Rexam's new Fusion drawn wall ironed aluminium 'can bottle', now running along a pilot line at the company's Milton Keynes R&D centre.

Incorporating custom-engineered necking technology developed by Rexam's Italian partner Frattini, bottles can vary in capacity, shoulder shape, neck length and closing options to suit individual requirements. UK & Ireland sales director Gary Aslam says: "Fusion is the most exciting development to have come through during my 17 years at Rexam. It's the first commercially feasible version of a 'can bottle', made with our usual process - so it'll incur no new engineering costs - and one-sixth of the weight of a standard 33cl glass bottle with a re-sealable closure. We're very close now to commercialisation, and I'm quite sure we'll have a production line running next year."

Aslam is less confident about the UK prospects, at least, for the 250ml slim can for wine, notably adopted by South African brand Eve and currently in search of European markets. "There's a lot of interest, and there's certainly a gap in the market with regard to slim cans, but there's not the capacity within UK filling groups to accommodate changes for low-volume new products. To get this off the ground there needs to be a strong brand partner involved to fund the investment."

Easy-open technology
Of the 'big three', Rexam will have Interpack pretty much its own way. Ball Packaging has opted not to participate, and Crown will occupy a small presence via the MPMA stand. Nevertheless, the recently introduced Easylift next generation of the established Eole easy-open can end technology will be part of Crown's overall display. Adopted by Nestlé Purina Petcare Europe to trial the new ends on its 400g packs of cat and dog food, it's a development that the can-making sector hopes could arrest the slide of petfood products into rigid plastic pouches - estimated by Mullen to represent an overall market of around 1.5 billion cans per year.

Compatible with existing canning line equipment, Crown is also targeting Easylift at a wide range of food applications including ready meals, fruit and vegetables, fish and dairy products, and is expected to go into full production across Europe later this year

Metal showcase
Also on the MPMA stand will be Roberts Metal Packaging and the Norwich-based Impress Paints & Coatings division, both showcasing new developments.

Having invested more than £750,000 in relocating to a new 3,000m2 facility in Thamesmead in January last year, Roberts aims to boost its current £4.6m annual turnover through an extension to its Softline aluminium packaging range into larger format 200ml and 250ml sizes, currently available in sizes from 15-100ml. "Having previously tailored our offer to match an existing enquiry, as a stock range Softline has been a very successful change of step, and already represents over 10% of total sales, of which 50% goes to export," says managing director Chris Saunders.

Impress (Norwich) produces 80 million cans per year for the paint and coatings market, and key account manager Matt Sykes says it is "just weeks away from launching a new easy-open facility with enhanced lid retention". The new lidding technology was outsourced to the company's Czech Republic and Dutch facilities, and will reduce material use by 500 tonnes of tinplate per year. The easy-open closure picked up last year's MPMA 'Best in Metal' sustainability gold award, and very much underlines Impress's conviction that environmental issues are likely to strengthen metal packaging's market profile and adoption. The company is currently working on a major sustainability improvement project with an undisclosed existing paint customer, says Sykes. "When your major customers ask you to explain your carbon footprint, you have to be ready with the answer. The process can be complex and time consuming, but it also provides a real insight into how your business ticks and allows you to evaluate and fundamentally change the way it operates, in both an economic and ethical ways."

Impress
t: +33 2 4348 5100