Trivium releases “first ever” aluminum bottle for edible oil

12 Oct 2022 --- Trivium Packaging has created its first-ever aluminum bottle for edible oil in the US. The global company discovered a way for aluminum to be adapted to suit liquid edible oil closures.

Metal has been used for larger tins of bulk liquid or in aerosol formats of edible oil containers, but this is the first time the company has adapted its bottle to be suitable for edible oil closures. The metal is capable of protecting and maintaining the technical properties of the oil while being environmentally sustainable, states the company.

“Brands now have a window of opportunity to stand out as sustainability-minded by being among the first movers to launch sustainable packaging materials and solutions,” says Alexandra Holtzman, director of strategy and business development at Trivium tells PackagingInsights. 

“With the introduction of aluminum bottles for smaller quantities of liquid edible oil, even more products within the category can benefit from metal packaging.” 

However, while aluminum is one of the most recyclable materials, the metal industry has been strongly affected by the current energy crisis, facing high prices in manufacturing. Trivium Packaging has manufactured the first suitable aluminum bottle for edible oil. 

Edible oil bottles
The company believes the metal bottle will differentiate itself from standard plastic and glass bottles on the shelves. As it is the first company to design an aluminum edible oil bottle, Trivium says it is confident in its ability to stand out to consumers. 

“We currently don’t see significant penetration of metal packaging in the smaller-volume, liquid pourable edible oil market. Today, these products are typically in plastic or glass bottles,” says Holtzman.

Alison Burns, strategy and business development manager of global beverage at Trivium Packaging recently spoke to PackagingInsights at Drinktec 2022 about the advantages of aluminum cans compared to plastic and glass options.  

Last year, Sidel supplied three solutions for lightweight recycled PET edible oil bottles, whereas UFlex India recently designed a plastic pouch for edible oil. 

Metal circularity
Aluminum is touted as more sustainable than its plastic counterparts as it can be infinitely reused and recycled. “Metal packaging enables a truly circular economy. In fact, 75% of aluminum produced is still in use today,” says Holtzman. 

“Aluminum has one of the highest recycling rates of all packaging substrates. And the sustainability proposition has the potential to go beyond recyclability: adopting a refill and replace system has the potential to eliminate all single-use plastic components.” 

The bottle has high-speed in-line printing capabilities enabling the metal packaging to take on multiple graphical effects without needing labels. This allows brands to use the entire bottle’s surface to achieve their desired look without adding paper or plastic components.

Trivium reports that 74% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. The aluminum edible oil bottle promises improved recyclability. 

Research commissioned by the International Aluminium Institute into the recycling of three beverage container materials – aluminum, glass and PET – found that aluminum cans best support a circular economy. 

Meanwhile, according to annual data published by the Environment Agency, the UK recorded its highest aluminum packaging recycling rate in 2021. The recycling rate was 68% in 2021, with more than 156,000 metric tons collected for recycling (a 3% rise year-on-year).

Metal issues
However, it is a difficult time for companies to be innovating with aluminum due to the material facing price irregularities. 

Metal industry associations have warned about the current energy crisis posing an “existential threat” to their future as electricity prices soar beyond affordable levels. They have urged EU leaders to take immediate action or accept “permanent deindustrialization.”

To combat the issue, the European Commission has enforced several measures to help metal producers, who say they are facing a “life or death” winter. 

By Sabine Waldeck