The tins are an important trend in the food and beverage industry and are selected increasingly by consumers since they combine a number of features that meet their requirements. More specifically, potential buyers are looking for solutions that keep pace with their busy and intense lifestyle, offer comfort, convenience and safety. At the same time, they turn to packaging that is environmentally friendly. Brands usually resort to ecological, economic and functional packaging in order to meet the expectations of their clients. The use of metal packaging is increasingly widespread, so as to compete with glass and paper in the food and beverage industry.
So which are those features that make metal packaging attractive both to brands and to consumers?
First of all, metal packaging is very resistant. They do not corrode and they cannot be worn. They are resistant to pressure and high temperatures, qualities which are very important during transportation and storage.
– They can be taken and used anywhere and anytime because they usually have little weight. Indeed the brands tend to invest in innovations designed to further reduce the weight and thus to the reduction of transportation and storage costs.
– They maintain the freshness of the content more than the glass containers, thereby prolonging the life of the products on the shelf.
– They are easy to sterilize and prevent the and prevent deterioration of their contents, by protecting them from liquids, gases and light
– They are functional, since they can be heated with their content in microwave ovens.
– They are environmentally friendly as they can be reused and recycled. It is worth mentioning that the recycling of metal packaging has achieved one of the highest recycling rates in Europe (73%).
– Furthermore, the option of decorating them with graphic elements of various colors compared to the limitations of other materials (glass), gives to brands an additional tool to interact with the end users.
– Their shiny view gives a modern and sophisticated prestige for the product, while the smooth surface give a pleasant feeling to consumer upon touch. In total, they can offer a substantial multi-sensory experience.
– Some tins are works of art, and they are used by consumers and after consuming the product for decorative purposes.
Thanks to the combination of the above characteristics, those packages are widely used by the food and beverage industry.
For instance, a major innovative solution constitutes the black, corrugated metal, a fully recyclable package which can be placed in a microwave oven and contains aluminum tear tape, facilitating its opening. The top part is covered from paper and because of the structural design and its color, it provides a premium look and feel. It is used by a European dairy company for Swiss cheese fondue with target potential buyers to be able to prepare and quickly and easily consume a healthy snack.
The tins tend to occupy particular sectors of the beverage industry, such as soft drinks. For such products ideal is a small, lightweight, thin, cylindrical foil package which incorporates a straw mechanism that enables the metal lid once opened to prevent spillage of the product during consumption. Moreover, through the laser technology they can be decorated with the brand logo, messages and drawings. This package was used by a Polish beverage production company in order to provide a convenient and exciting shopping experience to men and particularly to female consumers and differentiate from competing brands in various outlets.
An additional sector which uses metal packaging is that of tea. Indicatively, rectangular, lightweight and fully recyclable metal boxes which have a soft matte black finish, bring ladies icons of the 20th century to dine with family and friends and has a metal cap in pale golden color was used by a British tea production company. The company developed this unique elegant packaging for the premium teas, to stand on the shelf, aiming at promoting the quality of its products and the brand itself. Each box has 80 tea bags and can then use these refilled or used to store small objects or even as a decorative element.
Generally, the food and beverage industry disseminate innovative, aesthetically pleasing, ecological, functional metal packaging, as they respond to the wishes of potential buyers for comfort, convenience and assurance of product quality and integrity during the on-the-go consumption fact, are for interested practices and environmentally friendly solutions even after the consumption of the products.
References : Jenny Eagle (2015), Paul Gander (2013), Lisa McTigue Pierce (2012), www.canmaker.com, www.boixados.com, www.packagingnews.co.uk, www.packagingeurope.com, www.dkconsultants.gr