The aluminium beverage can is now the popular choice for carbonated and still soft drinks, mineral waters, beers and lagers. It competes successfully against drinks containers of glass, plastic and steel, and is the only drinks container for which closed loop recycling applies; a used aluminium drinks can is recycled back into aluminium can sheet for the manufacture of another aluminium drinks can.
The good thermal properties of aluminium mean that the drinks can is quickly chilled. It has good rigidity and strength without the grave disadvantages of a glass bottle, of being fragile and dangerous when broken and much heavier than analuminium can. It is lighter than steel and even a steel beverage can relies on aluminium for the top of the can since the better control on gauge and properties of aluminium mean that the easy open end of the can only be made in aluminium.
Aluminium offers greater malleability, resulting in ease of manufacture; this gave rise to the two-piece can, where all but the top of the can is simply stamped out of a single piece of aluminium, rather than laboriously constructed from two pieces of steel. A label is either printed directly on the side of the can or will be glued to the outside of the curved surface, indicating its contents.Most aluminium cans are made of two pieces. The bottom and body are "drawn" or "drawn and ironed" from a flat plate or shallow cup. After filling, the can "end" is sealed onto the top of the can.
Aluminium cans provide long-term food quality preservation benefits. Aluminium cans deliver 100 percent protection against oxygen, light, moisture and other contaminants. They do not rust, are resistant to corrosion and provide one of the longest shelf lives of any type of packaging. Aluminium offers one of the best packaging media for food products. Due to its many desirable properties, it is selected for food products without facing any problems.
Beverage cans have proven to be relatively resilient during recessional periods and have maintained their share in the pack mix. Consumers, with less disposable income to spend in bars and restaurants, are tending to stay at home for their entertainment which often favours the beverage can.
Around 90% of the world’s beverage cans are made of aluminium. In the US, beverage cans are made exclusively from aluminium, but steel is still used in some parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. Nearly all beverage cans in North America and Europe are two piece but some three piece steel beverage cans are still used in China and South East Asia.
The beverage can markets in sub-Saharan Africa and India have been slow to develop. Can demand is expected to increase in the coming years in line with rising incomes, better retail infrastructure and changing consumer tastes.In 2019, the global aluminium cans market attained a value of USD 957 billion. In the forecast period of 2020-2025, the industry is expected to witness a CAGR of 3.25% to reach a value of USD 1159.5 billion by 2025.
