Consumer Preferences (multipacks)

European can makers in 2010 saw a healthy increase in empty can shipments in 2010 with a 5.2 percent increase which equates to approximately 54 billion total units. So what actually drove this growth?

Multipack cans now make up around half of all beverage can sales across Europe and are being included more and more in consumer’s weekly shopping baskets. They have been heavily promoted by retailers and offer people at home the convenience of on-the-go whilst saving money through buying multiple quantities. Multipacks also have the added advantage of size meaning that the larger surface area on multipacks has more opportunity to catch the eye of a passing shopper through branding and presence on shelf.

Britain and Spain are the two largest multipack markets, boasting well developed markets with a sophisticated trade infrastructure dominated by larger multiples. People also make larger, less frequent shopping trips in both of these countries. In Germany, according to a survey conducted by AC Nielsen in December 2010, 30 percent of shoppers buy their cans as part of planned shopping trips rather than on impulse.

And it isn’t just cost saving benefits for the customer and a useful marketing material for brands, multipacks are stackable, easy to transport, robust and a cost-efficient form of packaging.

‘i luv my can’ competition closes with a bang

i luv my can competition entry

One of the biggest challenges we, as an industry, face is encouraging consumers to recycle their beverage cans.  Arguably, the trick lies in making recycling fun.  Enter i luv my can— the nationwide search for the most imaginative and creative use of old beverage cans.  The competition, which has come to a successful climax, was designed to show consumers the many ways in which cans can be reused and to demonstrate the can’s infinite recyclability.

i luv my can encouraged consumers aged 16 upwards to turn ordinary beverage cans into beautiful and exciting creations.  The options were limitless –creative (and not-so-creative) types all over the country were asked to send in the most inventive ways to reuse a can.

The amount of entries received was phenomenal and proved that consumers do, in fact, want to recycle.  Please visit the iluvmycan website for a rundown of all the entries.  Look out for a can taking flight, throwing itself down wild waters, and even turning into fashion pieces worthy of Kate Moss.

From the very best of the entries, ranging from can accessories, can artwork, and even dancing cans, a winner will be crowned later this month and will receive a £1000 cash prize and a year’s supply of their favourite canned drink.

The winner of each of the 10 categories will also be presented with a trophy and the best creations will be auctioned to raise money for the Art Fund, the UK’s leading charity that helps secure great art for museums and galleries.

Check back later this month for a full list of the winners, and details about how your organisation can bid for them to help raise money for the Art Fund.

In the meantime, we want to know what wins your vote on the iluvmycan website.  Share your thoughts here.

Cans: the myths exploded (part 1)

The beverage can is the most recyclable form of drinks packaging in the world. In this blog post we will address common can misconceptions and set the record straight.

Some Say: The recycling of a can does not have much of an effect on the environment.

The Truth: Every recycled can counts … and helps save the environment! Saving drinks cans for recycling means that they don’t end up at landfill sites. As every single part of every can collected can be recycled, it also means that there is no waste. Around nine tonnes of CO2 are saved for every tonne of aluminium recycled. Metal can be endlessly recycled, meaning that environmental savings stack up. In fact, every can recycled cuts the carbon footprint of the next can.

Some Say: The production of metal is energy intensive – even more so than other options. That’s why cans are a less preferable drinks package.

The Truth: Yes, producing metal from raw materials does use a lot of energy which is why recycling is so important. Can recycling saves as much as 95 per cent of the energy required to produce virgin materials. Continual lightweighting also means that it is now possible to make 60 cans (holding 30 litres of beverages) with only 1kg of aluminium. A BCME study found that beverage cans produce around 45 percent fewer emissions across the supply chain than other options.

Carbonated soft drink cans see strong market growth of 8% in first half 2011

Can Makers, the body representing the UK manufacturers of beer and carbonated soft drinks cans, has today revealed that carbonated soft drink can shipments are up 8%, with 186 million more units shipped in the first half of 2011 compared with 2010.  In total, 2503 million cans for soft drinks were shipped in the first six months of the year (January to June).

In the Nielsen universe, growth in all carbonated soft drink in cans to end of June was 11.2%.  The 15, 25 and 33cl can sizes have all seen a rise.  The main driver has been an increase in sales of multipacks, with the eight packs proving the most popular. The increase in energy drinks whilst a relatively new and emerging market is remarkable, 50cl cans in this category have seen 31% growth year to date.

While carbonated soft drinks continue to grow, shipments of empty beer and cider cans in the first half of 2011 were down by 6.8% compared with 2010, with 2108 million cans shipped.  This is due in large part to the fact that in 2010 demand was stimulated by the World Cup.  The beer market in both the on- and off-trades is also affected by the recession and its impact on consumer spending.

According to Nielsen in the year to date, beer and cider in cans have made small gains from glass bottles in terms of market share.  Sales of single cans have increased influenced, no doubt, by the recession.  Multipacks, specifically 12 and 18 packs, have also seen a growth.

Overall, can market shipments in the first half of 2011 have increased by 1% to 4611 million.

Geoff Courtney, chairman of the Can Makers, said: “We are pleased to see the continued rise in the can soft drinks market in the UK and we are confident that there will be a stronger performance in the alcohol sector for the second half of the year as the can will be the pack of choice for the consumer going into the Christmas period. It is great to see that despite the recession, the can market has continued to see a growth in the first half of the year.”

The Can Makers welcome key Ministerial and Parliamentary visits

 In July, Ball Packaging Europe’s Deeside End Making Plant hosted a visit from Mr John Griffiths, Environmental and Sustainability Minister for the Welsh Assembly.  BPE has two plants in North Wales; one beverage can plant the other an end (lid) plant.

Deeside used this unique opportunity to share with the Minister their outstanding efforts made with regards to overall utility reduction and their achievement in realising “Zero Waste to Landfill”.  This environmental milestone was recognised by John Griffiths who presented an award to the plant team.

On presenting the award the Minister commented: “Changing the way we deal with our waste to be sustainable not only means we’re being green but can bring concrete business benefits. We know, for example, that in the coming years, businesses will face escalating landfill costs, whilst the cost of many raw materials will continue to climb. That’s why resource efficiency is so important. Ball Packaging Europe is an excellent example of the way in which designing out waste and recycling everything possible, brings tangible business benefits. I want to congratulate them on meeting their target, and call on other Welsh businesses to follow their lead”.

Also doing the can making plant rounds was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Lord Henley, who visited Crown’s Botcherby Can & End Plant.  The Crown factory produces six million beverage cans and 18m cans ends every day.  The Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) welcomed Lord Henley to the plant, where he saw resource efficiency demonstrated in the can production process.

“The metal packaging industry has a great story to tell regarding resource efficiency with investment over many years in making cans lighter while retaining their strength and robustness,” said MPMA Chief Executive Nick Mullen.

Rexam’s Wakefield Can Plant was visited by Morley and Outwood MP Ed Balls.  He toured the entire can making process from the start of a simple rolled sheet of aluminium, to the complete finished can.

Wakefield plant manager Michael Waite said: “It was great to meet Ed Balls and to be given the opportunity to showcase our plant and our manufacturing skills. We are very proud of what we do here”.

“Ed was keen to learn about Rexam’s development and about the beverage can, particularly the fact that the can is 100% recyclable. He agreed that the UK packaging industry is an impor

tant one for both the future of the manufacturing industry and the UK as a whole.”

The plant visits provide an ideal opportunity to engage directly with policy formers and policy makers and for them to witness, at first hand, the strength of both the corporate and personal sustainability endeavours which address such significant challenges.