30%
35%
47%
Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) conducted new research in 2016 supporting the superiority of the aluminum beverage can compared to other packaging options. When it comes to the consumer beverage drinking experience, nothing beats the aluminum can for protecting and enhancing taste, facilitating innovation and performance, and providing brand owners and consumers with a highly sustainable package.
CMI is the national trade association of the metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers in the United States. The can industry accounts for the annual domestic production of approximately 124 billion food, beverage and other metal cans, which employs more than 28,000 people with plants in 33 states, Puerto Rico and American Samoa; and generates about $17.8 billion in direct economic activity. Its members are committed to providing safe, nutritious and refreshing canned food and beverages to consumers.
In today's beverage market, packaging is more than just a container. It showcases a brand, impacts the environment and protects from external factors. Can manufacturers believe, and research shows, that cans deliver the most advantages for beverage brands.
-Matt Lincecum, Founder and Owner, Fremont Brewing
70%
75%
100%
recyclable.
of adults surveyed said they would purchase a product because its packaging is better for
the environment.
of all aluminum
ever produced is
still in use today.
Aluminum
beverage cans are
Glass 26%
Plastic 27%
Plastic 23%
CANS
BOTTLES
Lowest environmental impact
Made of recycled material
Easy to recycle
Because the aluminum can is the only package that is infinitely recyclable, consumers feel they are doing something good for the environment. Research confirms that cans are preferred over both glass and plastic in terms of recyclability and low environmental impact.
SUSTAINABILITY
"We can fit about 40 percent more volume in the truck by using cans, which means a smaller carbon footprint in transport of canning materials to the facility and in transporting beer."
Consumers surveyed preferred cans because they…
67%
Are easier to carry and
harder to damage than
other packages.
68%
Are easy to
grab on the go.
69%
Feel colder and
more refreshing.
-Tony Varni, President, Noah’s Spring Water
“You can take cans anywhere. [They] are perfect for active, on-the-go people who want to feel good about what they're drinking—and appreciate the perfect packaging.”
Plastic
Glass
Plastic
27% 32%
30% 36%
26% 38%
29% 40%
Glass
NEED STATE BOTTLES CANS
Spending time at
a friends house
BBQ/Picnic
Tailgating
Consumers choose the portable aluminum can over other packages to satisfy their social need states—laid-back social occasions like tailgating or barbecues—as well as emotional and physical need states like the desire to fit in or be more alert.
Comfort/Looks &
feels familiar
PERFORMANCE
performance
sustainability
innovation
taste
In addition to contributing unique sensory characteristics to the drinking experience, cans also protect the complex taste profiles of beverages more effectively than other packages. According to Fremont Brewing's lab tests, their canned beer has a 40 percent longer lifecycle than bottled beer exposed to the same conditions.
Other
Bottles
Cans
-Matt Lincecum, Founder and Owner, Fremont Brewing
"Light and oxygen are the main destroyers of craft beer. Cans don't let light in and they have very little head space."
TASTE
BEER COLA TEA
Served in
Cups
PACKAGING FORMATS OFFER A RANGE OF PROTECTION
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTOR
Temperature
Light
Clear Glass
Clear PET
Color Glass
(brown, blue, green)
Coated Paperboard Cartons
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polypropylene (PP) Plastic
Multi-Layered Cartons
Lower Level
of Protection
Higher Level
of Protection
Cans
Oxygen
“I have tried a new type of beverage based on the way its container label and graphics look.”
“I like canned packaging because the colorful labels completely cover the side of the package.”
The look and feel of a product’s packaging impacts consumer perceptions. The can’s wrap-around canvas allows for eye-catching visuals to help sell brands. Along with unique graphics, more innovations are being implemented and explored. For example, subtly expanding the diameter of the mouth of a can allows for more airflow, creating an enhanced aromatic experience.
-Brian O’Reilly, Brewmaster, Sly Fox Brewing Company
44% of consumers say cans are the best packaging for delivering cool graphics vs. only 19% for glass bottles and 13% for plastic bottles!
“We were the first in North America to use [one of the new] removable super end cans. You can really smell the beer—get the aroma.”
INNOVATION
“The unique shape and printing space on cans — images and designs catch my eye more than other beverage cans.”
INCREASE CONVERSIONS
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