Press Release / Industry / Cans and tubes are booming: Ceresana examines the European market for rigid metal packaging

Cans and tubes are booming: Ceresana examines the European market for rigid metal packaging

Steel and aluminum are sustainable materials for attractive packaging: high-quality appearance, outstanding barrier properties and best requirements for reprocessing. "Already today the recycling rate for metal packaging in Europe amounts to significantly more than 70%" says Oliver Kutsch, CEO of the market research institute Ceresana. "However, metal is facing more and more competition from other materials, in particular plastics." Ceresana examined the European market for rigid metal packaging. Products that belong to this category are for example beer cans, trays for ready meals, tubes for pharmaceutical products, paint buckets but also heavy transport packaging for industrial goods like IBC. According to Ceresana’s new study, the European market volume for rigid metal packaging will presumably amount to approx. 284 billion units in 2021.

Energy drinks provide wings for can market

Since 2005, increasing sales of energy drinks, introduction of new products, the favorable price as well as excellent recyclability caused an increased consumption of metal cans for the bottling of soft drinks of more than 4% p.a. in Europe. The fact that beer mixed drinks become increasingly popular, partly explains the reason for the increase of can consumption with regard to the bottling of beer. Moreover, the current economic situation in Europe causes consumers to drink less in bars and restaurants but buy more drinks, often cans, in supermarkets and drink them at home. Ceresana forecasts a loss of market share for refillable bottles as beer packaging.

Preserves, fresh or frozen - a matter of budget?

Since 2008, canned foods have gained popularity in some countries, due to the economic distortion. Its comparatively inexpensive price and the simple and energy-saving storage are properties that are appreciated anew by many consumers. Thus within the last years, the consumption of cans for food filling increased by more than 1 billion units in Europe. There is a tendency that in more and more countries, preferences shift from canned food to fresh or frozen products that are considered to be healthier. Even though the consumption patterns from economically difficult times will continue to exist for some more years, in the medium and long term, Ceresana expects a decreasing consumption of food cans, even in countries in which disposable income has fallen.

More aluminum tubes in advanced age

Plastic tubes and other plastic containers become increasingly significant as packaging for food like sauces, dressings and condiments. Due to their positive properties, aluminum tubes still hold a strong position in the pharmaceutical field. Thanks to their excellent barrier properties, aluminum tubes protect contents from air and light. Additionally, they hold back volatile components. Aluminum is resistant to heat, which is important because this way, medications can be kept sterile. Within the next years, the further expansion of Eastern European health systems will promote the consumption of aluminum tubes. In Western Europe, the ageing population will stimulate the consumption: An increase of age-related complaints like rheumatism or other joint diseases will also cause an increasing demand of analgesic ointments.

Aluminum caps displace wine corks

Particularly in the beverages segment, glass packaging has become less significant. Consequently, the market for metal caps and closures will change. In the field of soft drinks, no increase is to be expected. By contrast, the prospects in the wine segment or in the field of cosmetics & pharma are significantly more positive. For a long time, cork wine closures did not have any serious competition. Little by little, plastic closures were used. However in the meantime, aluminum screw caps show the most dynamic development: Besides many other positive properties, they offer high usability as no other aids are required in order to open the bottle. In addition to that, the bottle can be closed again.

The Study in Brief:

Chapter 1 provides information on volumes of production, import, export as well as rigid metal packaging consumption for the Europe region and other 23 individual countries, each in billion units for the period 2005 to 2021. Extensive details are provided on information about consumption, divided into individual packaging types as well as the most important applications.
Chapter 2: The demand of rigid metal packaging is described in detail, divided into types of packaging as well as application areas. The division of the respective markets into the individual national markets play a dominant role in this chapter. The analyzed packaging types are cans, tubes, containers and caps and closures.
Chapter 3 provides profiles of the largest producers of rigid metal packaging, clearly arranged according to contact details, turnover, profit, product range, production sites, profile summary, products, and application areas. Extensive profiles of 69 producers are provided, including Amcor Flexibles Europe & Americas, AptarGroup, Ardagh Group, Ball Corporation, Can-Pack, Colep Portugal, Constantia Flexibles, Crown, Greif, Rexam, Sarten Ambalaj, Schaefer Werke, SCHUETZ, Silgan Holdings and Sonoco Products.

Further information: www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/packaging/rigid-metal-packaging-europe/