Aluminium packaging is emerging as the new green leader in materials. Stakeholders across the food and packaging industries are already digging into the disposability’s environmental pros and cons. For Victor Ljungberg, the co-founder and chief executive of Meadow, a Stockholm, Sweden-based aluminium proponent, there’s no contest. He notes that since it is one-third the weight of glass and thus produces almost 900 grams per unit less CO2 when compared with glass. The road to acceptance for aluminum packaging isn’t a simple one. Right now, it’s four times more expensive than conventional materials.
As global sustainability standards continue to develop, so too does the demand for recyclable materials. Further, by 2038, the regulations require that 80% of packaging be recyclable. This move raises many questions about best-practice assumptions in the packaging industry. Is aluminium really the answer to plastic and other material use?
Jayne Paramor, sustainable packaging lead with consultancy Anthesis, makes a critical point. While she agrees that aluminium has considerable environmental benefits over plastic, she cautions that many brands may still prefer plastic. She notes, “Plastics remain highly suited to many packaging applications due to their durability, inertness and design flexibility.” This reality is a serious hurdle for aluminium to overcome if it wants to show its value and win the bid beyond its lightweight and recyclable qualities.
Mark Lansley, a member of the UK’s House of Lords and prominent packaging producer, highlights that manufacturers have decades-old production lines for plastic packaging. He’s quick to point out the cultural influences. A glass bottle of wine is a tradition and deeply embedded in the consumer experience. We’ve got to get past this expense,” Lansley is adamant. We need to market the advantages and more clearly define the carbon footprint aluminium provides, which is lower.
Aluminium has a recycling rate of 81%, 29% higher than plastic’s 52% recycling rate. This excellent recyclability further solidifies its status as a superior alternative. Lansley speaks to the need for improved public awareness regarding aluminium’s lower carbon footprint, which could aid its acceptance among consumers.
Despite its advantages, certain technical limitations exist. Nearly all food-grade aluminium needs internal lacquer- or polymer-based coatings to fulfill recyclability standards. This single requirement made recycling more difficult and should be removed to ensure a greater positive experience for consumers with aluminium products. As Mark Armstrong, design director at creative agency Marks, says, there is the crux of it. Aluminium, he says, “is, arguably, the recyclable material champion.” The re-dispensing and reseal-ability features usually depend on a secondary dispensing plastic. This creates confusion and additional challenges in recycling for all consumers. When forced to separate materials, it greatly diminishes their enthusiasm toward recycling.
Market conditions for aluminium packaging are changing, too. Aluminium can manufacturer Ball has invested in Meadow with plans to offer innovative packaging solutions to major personal care brands. These types of collaborations are crucial to showing aluminium as a preferred alternative in a growing market that is evolving towards more sustainable solutions.
Ljungberg expresses optimism about aluminium’s future role in various industries: “We realised the greenest container already exists – the aluminium can. So we thought, what do we need to do, to take it to new industries?” This innovative use of aluminum represents a key signal in the swelling tide of acknowledgement of aluminum’s potential outside the old, established applications.
As manufacturers navigate their existing lines and consumer preferences, price remains a significant factor in the adoption of aluminium packaging. Lansley acknowledges that, for all the environmental advantages aluminium brings to the table, its cost needs to match the expectations of consumers as well as market demand.
The struggle to balance tradition with innovation still continues. Lansley adds, “Aluminium bottles are lighter and don’t shatter, so they are much better for a picnic or by the pool. Then you’ve got tradition, and what folks are used to.” This cultural attachment greatly complicates the transition to newer, better packaging solutions.