Aluminium packaging stakes its claim
PR campaign
The lobby group Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME) has come out fighting on behalf of metal packaging options. Considering the companies that the organisation represents, this is hardly surprising. However, even though its opinion is obviously biased, does it have a point?
What’s the argument?
The BCME’s campaign to convert businesses to metals is based on the fact that they can be re-used on an unlimited basis. The BCME is promoting metals as a permanent option. It claims that, unlike materials such as paper which can only be recycled a number of times, metals can be recycled indefinitely without deterioration of quality.
Note. Although paper can only be recycled a limited number of times, the one advantage it has over metals is that it is a renewable product. When one tree is cut down, others can be planted almost immediately. You can’t grow more aluminium ore!
When is metal packaging an option?
Metals, such as aluminium or steel, can be used to package a range of products, including aerosols and household products; DIY products (e.g. paints and solvents); promotional items (e.g. confectionery); closures (caps and lids for containers); and food and drink items (including cans).
What about the cost?
Because metal prices vary so significantly, it’s impossible to provide a definitive price comparison between metals and other packaging materials, such as plastics.
Tip 1. When selecting a metal product to use, because of the differences in raw material costs, it’s vital that you choose wisely. Based on the prices available from the recycling industry, steel and iron - which fetch between £180 and £195 per tonne - offer a far cheaper option than products such as aluminium, copper and brass - which fetch between £5,000 and £10,000 per tonne.
Tip 2. Avoid virgin materials. Because there’s no deterioration in product quality, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use material that has already been recycled. For example, the Belgian beer manufacturer InBev uses 50% recycled aluminium in its cans. To enhance the company’s green credentials, this information is stamped on each can.
Plastics aren’t cheap either
Although metals may seem expensive, the cost of alternatives is on the up. For example, one of the UK’s biggest milk providers, Robert Wiseman Dairies, recently reported that the rise in oil prices had resulted in the price of the plastic used in its milk containers rising 10% in the four months to January 2011.
Cost recovery
Another case for using metal is when it comes to disposing of the packaging. It’s much cheaper to get rid of metal packaging than plastic alternatives. In fact, because of the value of metals, your customers can actually make money out of sending it for recycling.
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