Ball spotlights aluminum packaging for care products to meet sustainability demands

21 Nov 2022 --- Ball Corporation’s latest consumer survey displays a growing demand for environmentally sustainable household and personal care product packaging options, with 45% of consumers citing it as an “extremely important attribute.” The company is leveraging aluminum in its upcoming bathroom product innovations due to the circularity offered by the material.

Ball aims to use the research findings of The Aluminum Bottles Report to fill the gap between the demand and supply of packaging virtues.

“As consumers continue to demonstrate a growing preference for environmentally friendly products, there is an incredible opportunity for household and personal care brands to introduce new and innovative packaging options that are better for the planet,” says Victoria Marletta, VP of commercial at Ball Aerosol Packaging.

“In particular, we’re excited about the potential to leverage aluminum packaging in the bathroom. For packaging hair care products, deodorant, lotions and more, aluminum bottles are a premium, durable and infinitely recyclable option that stands out on the shelf.”

In an attempt to gauge consumer sentiment across packaging materials most suited to building a circular economy, Ball conducted an online survey across the US, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France and Germany. Of the 1666 participants, half noted that they prefer household and personal care packaging that is easy to recycle.

Additionally, 40% of consumers surveyed noted that their purchase decisions are inspired by on-package claims of “better for the environment” and “uses less plastic.”Growing consumer consideration for the overall product life cycle provides an opportunity for suppliers to communicate the infinitely recyclable nature of aluminum.

Packaging savvy consumer 
The report demonstrated that consumer attention is focused on packaging attributes such as convenience, recyclability and safety. “Younger consumers, in particular, demonstrated a growing awareness about premium packaging materials,” it states.

Regarding the sentiment around material substrates, the survey found that 63% of the consumers perceived plastic as an environmental concern. Furthermore, when asked how important “infinite recyclability” is while purchasing a household or personal care packaging container, 49% of the respondents ranked it as “extremely important.”

“Aluminum cans, cups and bottles are the most likely containers to be recycled into new products – they can be recycled and returned to store shelves in just 60 days. By choosing aluminum packaging and always recycling afterward, we can help solve the packaging waste crisis,” the report underlines.

Jay Billings, president at Ball Aerosol & Bottle Packaging, adds: “This primary research has provided tremendous value to our organization as we strive to develop a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of our customers’ consumers, to be a stronger partner.”

Functionality is key
Household and personal care packaging that is easy to use and recycle, is unbreakable, free of harmful ingredients and maintains product freshness are reportedly driving factors when purchasing products.

The research reveals that while consumers perceive glass and cardboard as environmentally friendly, they also recognize that neither glass nor cardboard is practical and safe for use in the bathroom.

In the US, nearly 90% of respondents wished household product packaging in environmentally friendly formats was more readily available and easier to purchase. In comparison, over 80% somewhat agreed to pay more for products packaged in an environmentally friendly way.

“Infinitely recyclable packaging”
According to Ball, growing consumer awareness and consideration for the overall product life cycle provides an opportunity for brands and suppliers to communicate the infinitely recyclable nature of aluminum.Ball aims to use its findings to fill the gap between the demand and supply of packaging virtues.

“Recycled content is a big thing on the market. We do not provide a static percentage of recycled content – it can be 25%, 50% or more, depending on what customers require. However, we believe the most sustainable option when designing a package is using 50% recycled content and 50% low-carbon primary aluminum,” Predrag Ozmo, head of sustainability at Ball, previously told PackagingInsights.

“Aluminum is a high-quality material used in long-lasting applications like airplanes, window frames and building constructions. You obviously can’t recycle your airplane every two weeks, so we have to make up for that unrecycled material with virgin sources.”

Highlighting the consumer sentiment for recyclable household and personal care packaging revealed through the report, Ball reiterates that “now is the time to adapt traditional business models to new realities of the consumer and make sustainable packaging an option.”

“The findings from the report allow us to consider all economic, environmental and social impacts of packaging throughout its life cycle to create a solution for consumer demands,” the report summarizes.

“The use of less plastic, infinite recyclability and refillability were the most important attributes for packaging to accommodate, for encouraging consumer purchases in household and personal care products,” it concludes.

By Radhika Sikaria