Unlocking the Future of Sustainable Packaging

6. CASE STUDY ­— HOW VALPURE® V70 CAN ENABLE THE TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING    

For aluminum cans to function as a sustainable solution, they require can coatings to protect the quality and integrity of the can and the products they contain. 

valPure® V70 has the potential to enable significant change within the food and beverage, household, and personal care industries, which are beginning to favor more sustainable forms of packaging, such as aluminum cans, over other packing types, such as plastic and glass. 

According to recent research, about 85 percent of consumers make purchasing decisions with sustainability in mind, and they especially care about packaging, with more than half of consumers saying that packaging must be ecofriendly.14 

One of the more recent success stories in the switch to aluminum is the canned water industry, with global companies starting to package some of their water brands within aluminum cans. Supermarkets such as Tesco in Europe have offered canned water since 2018. Some of the U.K.'s biggest food and drink wholesalers, such as Bidfood and Brakes, and have also chosen canned water in response to retailer and customer demands to reduce their plastic packaging.15 According to Metal Packaging Europe, the flavored and mineral waters market is one of the fastest growing in the world; currently valued at over €50 billion globally.16

Canned water has been linked to sustainable initiatives and brands with the U.K. brand, Dash, choosing cans for its waters flavored with misshapen fruit that would otherwise be thrown away by supermarkets. CannedWater4kids (CW4K), a nonprofit based in the U.S., which ensures all children across the globe have access to safe drinking water, funds its initiatives through the sale of its drinking water in aluminum bottles and cans.17 

valPure® V70 is in full commercial use for some of the most challenging beverage types, including canned water, seltzers, wines, alcoholic beverages and sparkling waters. While canned water may not seem revolutionary, it can be a very technically challenging beverage to pack. This is due to the fact the flavor of canned water is neutral, as it lacks the high levels of sugar and flavorings found in other beverages. This means that the flavor profile of water could be easily impacted by certain can coating formulas. It is very important that the coatings used for canned water limit migration of materials from the coating which may affect the flavor profile of the water. Historically, BPA-based epoxy coatings have been the preferred  coating to hold canned water due to the robust sensory performance of epoxy coatings. 

Sherwin-Williams has worked closely with its customers to test a range of different coating formulas to successfully pack water in metal packaging. valPure® V70, as an epoxy technology, has performed well when used as a coating for canned water, making it the perfect partner to enable the growth of this exciting packaging sector. 

Within the diverse range of brands and sub-sectors of the beverage industry, there is another key player that faces many challenges in transitioning to sustainable packaging – the wine industry.

Traditionally, the wine industry has favored the glass bottle. According to a recent study, bottling represents the largest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions relating to the production of wine.18 As the wine industry attempts to reduce its carbon footprint, half of its greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the manufacture and transportation of glass bottles, which are created in energy-intensive furnaces.19

Glass is still the most practical packaging for inert wines that are meant to age over time in a cellar. However, for the 95 percent of all wine consumed within months of purchase, bottles are increasingly impractical with many wine producers reporting shortages of glass bottles.20  Some people in the industry, however, remain skeptical about the can, with some wine experts claiming that drinking wine from a can could diminish the quality and aroma of the wine. 

Despite these concerns, the wine industry is increasingly considering metal packaging as a viable alternative, with cans valued for their sustainability benefits. The value of the global canned wine market is estimated to surpass €525 million ($570 million) by 2028, at an average annual 13 percent growth.20

While glass is technically highly recyclable, in the U.S., only 31 percent of glass is recycled. However, aluminum is widely recycled with almost 75 percent of the aluminum that has ever been produced is still in use today.21

The manufacturing of such cans for the industry is also significantly more efficient, with the production of three 25cl aluminum cans, instead of a traditional 75cl wine bottle, reducing carbon emissions by 79%.22 Additionally, according to a survey by the Swedish government’s alcohol retail chain Systembolaget, reported in the Financial Times, a can is “28 times more efficient to recycle than bottles.” Cans of wine are smaller, lighter, more durable, and easier to store and recycle.22

However, for the wine industry to successfully transition to metal packaging, it needs innovative can coating technologies that protect its product, support shelf life, and do not impact the taste or quality of the wine.  Maintaining the quality of wine in cans is challenging since many wines are very acidic and can degrade internal can coatings. This can lead to corrosion of the can, which can adversely affect the flavor of the wine. Coatings also need to be suitably flexible to avoid cracking during the sealing of the can. Cracks in the coating can lead to exposed aluminum, which can react with the sulfite preservatives in the wine to form hydrogen sulfide, which has a very unpleasant odor. Therefore, for a coating to be suitable to protect canned wine, it must be able to provide a strong barrier between the wine and the aluminum can and be flexible enough to remain intact during the sealing process. valPure® V70 is proven to have excellent barrier resistance and flexibility. This combination of properties makes valPure® V70 very effective for canned wine. 

Indeed, for metal packaging to work successfully as a sustainable solution for the food and beverage industry, innovative can coatings are essential for preserving the integrity of these cans and the products they hold. The development of valPure® V70 supports this transition towards the increased use of metal packaging for the wine and water beverage sectors, offering an epoxy technology without the use of BPA.