Ball survey: Wine in cans attract younger UK consumers with recyclability and convenience

16 Aug 2021 --- Demand for wine served in aluminum cans is on the rise, with a new Ball-commissioned survey revealing more than half of Millennials and Gen Z consumers (52%) in the UK drink or plan to drink canned wine.

As outdoor socializing becomes a reality again as COVID-19 restrictions ease, wine in cans are increasingly becoming a “picnic basket staple” throughout the country. 

“We are seeing more and more people embrace wine in cans – both because of their high recyclability and convenience,” says Carey Causey, president of Ball beverage packaging EMEA. 

“As their potential to also contribute to a circular economy is more widely understood, we expect this trend for canned wines to grow even more.”

The representative poll of 1,000 UK adults was carried out between June 3-7, 2021 by polling company Norstat. 

Know your customer
Older generations are reportedly less keen on canned wine, with 38 percent of people aged 45 to 54 interested, followed by 22 percent of seniors aged 65 and older.

Fifty-six percent of Londoners, regardless of age group, reported they would choose wine in cans, making up the largest UK group by location. Meanwhile, sparkling white and rosé were most often cited as Britons’ favorite canned wines (33%). 

Nearly half of respondents aged 18 to 44 drink are fans of wine in cans, just ahead of 38% of Brits aged 45 to 54.Convenience continues to trailblaze the canned wine sector: just over a quarter (27%) of UK respondents to an Innova Market Insights survey stated usage convenience is most important to them when purchasing alcoholic beverages.

Two in five UK consumers indicate brand design and the “unboxing experience” are important for aluminum cans. This space is bustling with innovation, as recently evidenced by Crown’s new line of canned wine products in Italy. 

Targeting younger audiences’ climate change concerns, the aluminum cans are illustrated with depictions of a futuristic world where environmental destruction has rendered wine cultivation impossible. 

Metal Recycles Forever
Metal cans’ circularity profile continues to attract, as consumers worldwide catch on to metal’s infinite recyclability. In the UK alone, 63 percent of Innova Market Insights survey respondents regard metal’s recyclability as good or excellent. 

Ball also convinced Russian water brand Baikal to switch from plastic bottles to its aluminum cans in June last year.

Further banking on this trend, an Every Can Counts survey found most Europeans recycle at home (93%), but would do so more frequently in public spaces if national recycling infrastructure were more accessible (93%).

In a recent Special Report, PackagingInsights explored the latest in beverage can innovation with international suppliers Crown and Canpack and the trade associations Can Manufacturers Institute and Metal Packaging Europe. 

By Anni Schleicher

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