Metal matters

18 July 2008



Mike Taylor examines how environmental concerns loom large in the metal packaging industry


'Sustainability' is the new buzz-word currently being used again and again in so many walks of life, as the world begins to face up to its environmental responsibilities. The packaging industry is certainly no exception, and each of the materials sectors - plastics, glass, paper and board, and metal - must now focus firmly on making the most of its resources. This is apparent in much of the following review of news and developments from across the metal packaging industry.

APEAL, Belgium

Europe's steel for packaging industry organisation recently launched its sustainability positioning - 'Steel for packaging ... Naturally' - focusing on waste management, sustainable consumption and production.

"Steel's natural properties, being magnetic, infinitely recyclable and 100 per cent protective, mean that it is uniquely placed to meet the sustainability challenge," explained Philippe Wolper, managing director of the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL).

He commented that the industry is investing in long-term research and development to evolve breakthrough technologies to decrease the CO2 emissions from steel-making "even more drastically than the 50 per cent reduction already achieved."

BAMA, UK

This year, the British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association (BAMA) is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the UK aerosol. Norwegian inventor Eric Rotheim was granted the UK patent on 1 November 1928.

The UK now produces nearly a third of the aerosols in Europe and is second only to the USA in world production. About 1.2bn aerosol cans are produced by British companies per annum, with some 50 per cent being exported. Next year will see the 60th anniversary of the first commercial aerosol filling lines in the UK.

The industry continues to take a responsible stance towards environmental issues and safety and its products. Over 75 per cent of local authorities accept empty aerosols for recycling. However, many consumers remain unaware of the potential for recycling this packaging format.

Sue Rogers, BAMA director, explained: "Our Retailer Liaison Group involves key decision-makers representing major retailers, and we have done some work with them on directly promoting recycling to consumers. In total, 89 per cent of consumers use aerosols in the home, yet our recent research shows that half of these users are unaware that their empty aerosols can be recycled. We applaud the consumer education initiatives being taken by some of the retailers and will continue to provide advice and assistance to all local authorities."

Crown Closures, USA

The DelGrosso Family began packing its sauce for retail sale in 1947. The company has now evolved into one of the most highly regarded producers of fine sauces on the market today. Since its inception, DelGrosso has significantly grown its line of branded products, also producing private-label ranges.

In order to penetrate upscale supermarkets and speciality food stores, DelGrosso has turned its attention to the high-end pasta sauce category by developing the La Famiglia DelGrosso range of ultra-premium, entirely natural sauces. The container has a retro look, inspired by home-canning jars. That nostalgia needed to carry over to the closure, developed and manufactured by Crown Closures.

For the new brand, the company opted for an elegant all-black twist-off metal closure incorporating a vacuum button. The La Famiglia DelGrosso brand name is printed on the cap in an eye-catching gold hue. Like all metal closures, the twist closure provides an excellent oxygen barrier to ensure long shelf-life, thereby protecting vitamins and nutrients. The relationship between the two companies dates back to 1980, when DelGrosso began its conversion to glass packaging and needed high-quality metal closures. With Crown's Series 4SS straight-line vacuum capping machine, DelGrosso has seen a major increase in its line speeds, filling up to 400 jars per minute.

Enercon, UK

Some 15 years ago, the UK milk industry was incurring annual wastage of approximately 56 million litres of product through cap leakage - hence the birth of the hermetically sealed cap and foil.

According to Enercon Industries, since adopting cap and foil sealing, scrap is now 0.5 per cent or less per annum. This equates to a cost-saving of 56 million litres of milk and 3300 plastic bottles every year. Adoption of the cap and foil policy has resulted in cost savings of 2.5 per cent, a 1.5 per cent increase in profits and a 2 per cent reduction in scrap.

EskoArtwork, Belgium

EskoArtwork's Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) 2530 provided the technical advantage that enabled Coca-Cola Ireland and Ball Packaging Europe to create a limited edition of Diet Coke cans. Ball Packaging produced six full-colour designs, with a million cans being printed with each design.

Diet Coke brand manager Alexandra Phelan commented: "The new-style cans have been selling like 'hot cakes'. We feel each design embodies the true essence of the 'Diet Coke Do Your Thing' campaign."

Roland Wilde, Ball Packaging Europe's Manager for Printing Inks and Projects, commented: "The CDI's innovative technology enables images to be applied directly to flexible letterpress plates. This brings out even the finest hdetails of images in pin-sharp resolution."

Impress, UK

As part of a campaign to highlight the importance of recycling metal packaging, one of Britain's oldest trees, the Major Oak, in the heart of Sherwood Forest Nature Reserve, has been joined by a 15ft (4.6m) giant tree of a very different kind.

The Ronseal Eco Tree of Life - a striking structure made from 500 Ronseal woodcare tins by eco-artist, Ptolemy Elrington - was unveiled as part of an initiative from the woodcare manufacturer, "to encourage people to recycle now, before it's too late". The tins are manufactured by Impress.

Vicky Drinkwater, Senior Product Manager, Woodcare commented: "We devised this campaign to heighten our customers' awareness that their old tins can be recycled, rather than just thrown away."

Rexam, UK

Rexam has opened a new aluminium beverage can plant at Argayash, Russia. The new plant is the company's second can-making facility in the country. It will initially have one production line with a capacity of 700 million cans per year, but there are already plans to expand this to meet continued market growth.

The plant will produce 50cl cans for a number of customers, including Baltika, Heineken, Efes and SunInbev. It will create some 100 new jobs in the area, supporting the local economy and driving the development of the beverage can market in Russia.

Concluding remarks

Industry is increasingly under the environmental responsibility spotlight, and metal packaging organisation APEAL has set the theme - effective waste management, sustainable consumption and production. The report from Enercon, and the initiatives by BAMA and Ronseal show that different approaches can all help to turn the targets into reality.

Note

Please note that many product names are trade marks or registered trade marks and should be treated as such.


Crown Closures developed premium closures that reflect the retro aesthetics of this new range of pasta sauces Saucy new closures The Eco Tree of Life is entirely fabricated from woodcare tins, emphasising their inherent recycling characteristics Use metal, support the environment

Use metal, support the environment Use metal, support the environment
Saucy new closures Saucy new closures


Privacy Policy
We have updated our privacy policy. In the latest update it explains what cookies are and how we use them on our site. To learn more about cookies and their benefits, please view our privacy policy. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.