About Can Coatings

Can coatings are inside—and outside—the items we use every day

Food packaging

Demand for food cans continues to boom in the US with a double-digit increase in 2020. The surge in demand for processed foods like canned soups and vegetables during the pandemic has rippled through the food industry’s supply chain. According to Packaging Strategies, makers of metal containers have had to speed up production to keep pace.

Beverage packaging

There has been a steady growth in sodas, energy drinks, sparkling waters and alcoholic beverages such as craft brew beers. The beverage can’s existing circular system recycles 42.7 billion cans each year in the United States. That is the equivalent of 11 12-packs per person and more than 5 million cans each hour.

Aerosol packaging

8.14 billion aluminum aerosol cans were manufactured around the globe in 2018, an 8 billion increase from the previous year.

Sustainability

Metal cans are the most sustainable packaging.

• Nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today — 2X more than plastic bottles.
• Recycled beverage cans are back on store shelves in as little as 60 days.
• Making a can from recycled aluminum reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions more than 90% compared to using new aluminum.
• 95% of recycled cans are turned into new cans.

^{Sources: Packaging Strategies and Canmaker, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and Packaging Europe}