The General Manager and Vice President of Ball Beverage Packaging for India and Southeast Asia, Amit Lahoti said: “The demand for can-packed products would sharply rise, given the increasing emphasis on recycling and sustainable solutions.”
Mr Lahoti highlighted that the per capita can consumption in India is one per annum while it is 70 in Vietnam and about 40 in China. He further added: “Consumer behaviour and safety concerns in the wake of the pandemic were fuelling demand for aluminium cans in India.”
Ball Beverages Packaging India is the subsidiary of American multinational Ball Corporation and supplies aluminium cans for beverages and beer companies.
“There is increased awareness around how plastic packaging is adversely affecting marine life, polluting the rivers and oceans and ending up as non-degradable heaps of waste at landfills. More Indians are now purchasing items based on social responsibility, inclusiveness and environmental impact,” he added.
“COVID-19 has increased consumer awareness and commitment to buying sustainable products.”
The company is diversifying its packaging offering to multiple other segments such as sparkling water, wine and alcoholic drinks i.e. whiskey, rum and vodka to cater for the surge in demand.
“Alcohol in 180 ml cans was recently introduced in Rajasthan by a prominent spirits company. We are looking to expand that into various other States,” Lahoti said.
“We have also worked on our technology around coatings inside the cans to enable us to package wine in cans. A small serving in a can is always convenient.”
Amit Lahoti further added that two companies had already introduced their wine in cans in India and also using the same for exports.
“The other category that we have looked at is chilled water. This is targeted at premium locations where drinking water is being sold at ₹50-60 a bottle,” he said.
Presently, the annual market size for aluminium beverage cans in India is INR 1,500 crore and the market size for new avenues such as spirits are estimated at ₹360 crore per year.
According to data revealed by Balls Beverage Packaging: “On a per-litre beverage basis, emissions associated with transporting and cooling aluminium cans are 7-21% lower than for plastic bottles and 35-49% lower than for glass bottles, depending on the size of the comparative bottles as well as the types of refrigerators in which the beverage is cooled before consumption.”
“On a per-container basis, the associated emissions of beverage packaged in a 12-ounce aluminium can is 45% lower than in a 12-ounce glass bottle and 49% lower than in a 20-ounce plastic bottle when delivered and chilled, in small markets and convenience stores”, as per comparative studies conducted by the company.
The General Manager also explained that aluminium retains its value throughout the recycling process and can be repurposed into different products again and again, while after being used as a beverage can, can be used in making a car, a laptop or a bicycle and can even be recycled as a new can.
He concluded by saying: “75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in use today. Metals do not lose quality while recycling aluminium reduces the energy required to produce aluminium.”
Responses
