In a whitepaper released last week, Trivium Packaging, a $2.7B global leader in sustainable metal packaging, sheds new light on the modern advancements in the canning of food products. The report findings show that metal cans help to lock in food’s nutritional value while simultaneously reducing food waste. They are also circular by nature, being made from infinitely recyclable material.

The report, titled “Protect, Promote, Preserve,” defines the modern food can as the optimal food packaging choice, demonstrating its intrinsic advantages as it relates to delivering robust product protection, promotional opportunities for brand owners, and superior recyclability.

By canning products, companies can experience three core benefits that help drive business success within the packaging industry, while protecting the world around us:

Protect

  • Metal canning allows for the safeguarding of contents from external elements and shocks during storage and transportation
  • Rapid canning of food preserves nutritional content and reduces vitamin loss, enhancing the end product for the consumer
    • For instance, canned tomatoes hold up to four times the amount of lycopene as found in freshly prepared tomatoes
  • Canned food enjoys exceptionally long shelf lives, typically ranging between 1 to 5 years

Promote

  • Canning serves as a platform for brand differentiation and consumer messaging, enabling a company to separate itself from its competitors
  • Market research shows that consumers associate metal packaging with a “premium” look relative to other substrates
  • Direct, full-body printing of cans eliminates the need for labels, retains the can’s recyclability, and offers a 360-degree canvas on which a brand can display graphics and key product information

Preserve

  • With an estimated one-third of the world’s food production being lost or wasted each year, metal cans are natural allies in the global fight against food waste:
    • Canned food allows for year-round availability
    • By requiring no refrigeration, canning is among the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible ways to get food safely to where it is needed
    • The versatility of metal allows cans to be sized to suit a broad range of portions, including family, single-serve, and on-the-go; matching consumers’ preferences and reducing the amount of food that goes to waste
  • Today, up to 80% of all metals ever produced are still available or in use due to the material’s ability to not degrade, reinforcing the sustainable nature of metal cans when combined with its leading 70% recyclability rate

“The advantages of strategic, sustainable packaging are wide-ranging, and the findings within the whitepaper reinforce our mission here at Trivium,” Jenny Wassenaar, VP of Sustainability at Trivium Packaging said. “Whether a business’ packaging goal is environmental in nature, bottom line-focused, or a combination of the two, metal canning is not only beneficial to business and the world around us – it is more frequently being demanded by the consumer.”

Trivium’s 2021 Buying Green report shows that up to 52% of consumers look for information on the recyclability of the packaging products they buy and that 73% are willing to pay a premium for products that come in more sustainable packaging.

To download and read the comprehensive, full-length findings, view the Protect, Promote, Preserve whitepaper.