Aluminum Association Tracks Beverage Container Trends

Consumer packaging research from the Aluminum Association and the Can
Manufacturers Institute was presented as part of a presentation titled
"Innovations and New Markets in Aluminum Beverage Containers" at PackExpo, a packaging industry tradeshow held in Las Vegas this week.

• Cans accounted for 62 percent of container unit shipments in 2002, far ahead of plastic at 17 percent and glass at 21 percent.
• Within the grocery, drug and mass-merchandiser package mix, cans represent 75 percent of the total mix, with plastic comprising 23.5 percent and glass, 1.2 percent.
• The aluminum beverage can consistently rated higher than the plastic       bottle, its chief competitor, in perceptions of key qualities such as       convenience, recyclability and economics.
• Among all consumers, 66 percent recycle aluminum cans 75 percent to 100 percent of the time, compared to 52 percent for plastic containers, 48 percent for newspapers and 44 percent for glass bottles.

Aluminum cans don't appear likely to lose their No. 1 standing for the
foreseeable future, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI). "The beverage industry is brimming right now with new innovations and line extensions," Robert Budway, president of CMI, says. "Companies like Heineken and Coppola Wineries are seeing the benefit of incorporating aluminum can innovations into their highly successful new products."

"Aluminum beverage cans provide the opportunity for advancement in the
packaging industry," Fisher of Ball Corp. says. "Consumers and customers realize the value of the aluminum can and continue to drive a steady overall growth in the beverage industry."

Additionally, as part of PackExpo 2005, the Can Manufacturers Institute