Canned water: a sustainable alternative to plastic that is gaining more and more ground. Environmental awareness and numerous bans on single-use plastic are pushing the market towards eco-friendly solutions.

NEW TREND

Responding to consumers’ growing environmental concerns, canned water is gaining traction in supermarkets as an alternative to plastic

Initially used as a reserve during the Second World War, canned water is developing its own market, challenging plastic, traditionally a leader in the sector.

This is a change fueled by growing environmental awareness and increasingly stringent regulation. In fact, thanks to the increase in bans on the use of single-use plastic, companies are exploring valid alternatives.

Aluminium cans are considered a more sustainable packaging choice, with a high recyclability rate.

Investments in this direction are growing, with companies and brands working and committed to environmental protection and sustainability. This growing trend sees a great variety of formulations and flavorings appearing on the market.

Some brands, such as Open Water and Liquid Death, place environmental sustainability at the centre of their corporate identity, while large companies such as PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Co. are entering the canned water market.

However, there are challenges to overcome, such as higher cost and less convenience compared to conventional plastic bottles.

AROUND THE WORLD AND IN ITALY

In the US, the government initially introduced canned water for emergency use; now the market is expanding with the entry of brands like Dash, which are making investments.

The trend is similar in England: canned water is gaining popularity, with brands such as Cano Water and Highland Spring Group offering flavored and sparkling products to meet consumer preferences.

Canned water is also capturing the interest of consumers and investors in Germany. With the increase in bans on single-use plastics and the demand for more sustainable solutions, brands like Mananalu are making their way. Additionally, active partnerships with organizations like rePurpose Global demonstrate a collegial commitment to protecting the environment.

In all three countries, canned water is a tangible response to the need to reduce high-impact single-use plastic bottles and the growing interest in this sector is set to grow.

Even in Italy in recent years, canned mineral water has begun to make space on the shelves, although at the moment it still represents a small niche.

In the past they have introduced San Benedetto canned water (both in 33 cl single-dose format and in natural and carbonated versions) and Spumador Refresco (Eco Recoaro water in 33 cl cans, still and carbonated).

San Benedetto water cans have also successfully made themselves known in the USA.

WITH TOPSYL CAN WATER IS EVEN COOLER

Thanks to the TopSyl patent, the aluminium protection system proposed by the Ecocap’s company, canned water is even more trendy.

In addition to being an ecological, safe and hygienic system, TopSyl allows countless customizations, transforming the can into an extraordinary marketing and communication tool.

Customer engagement, together with data collection, is redefining the beverage market. Jacopo Cassoli, general manager of Ecocap’s, shared his observations at the end of Appex Melbourne.

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT, GROWING ATTENTION

During his recent trip to Australia, on the occasion of Appex – Australasia’s Processing & Packaging Expo where Ecocap’s was present with a booth, Jacopo Cassoli, general manager of the company, had the opportunity to delve into the emerging trends in the beverage sector.

Appex, held in Melbourne from 12 to 15 March, is a highly attractive trade fair, specialized in processing and packaging services, with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of professionals and operators involved.

Among the evidence emerging at a global level, there is the growing attention to customer engagement: “The personalization of the customer experience is gaining relevance and, more and more often, companies are looking for innovative solutions to capture and satisfy this need”, comments Jacopo Cassoli.

In this process, Ecocap’s machinery and the TopSyl patent are strategic tools for the beverage sector: “The results obtained by our partners demonstrate how TopSyl caps offer effective connection and communication opportunities towards their end customers. The versatility and ease of TopSyl customization make it a unique product compared to other packaging solutions on the market. The TopSyl cap allows to collect useful information on consumer preferences, to improve their engagement and to offer personalized and unprecedented experiences each time,” explains Jacopo Cassoli.

TOPSYL BETWEEN FEATURES AND FUTURE TRENDS

Adaptability and flexibility are some of the characteristics that make TopSyl a quality plus.

“It is possible to apply thousands of different graphics in the same production batch, significantly reducing customization costs” specifies Cassoli.

“TopSyl, in addition to guaranteeing hygiene and food safety on all types of cans, responds effectively to global trends in the beverage sector, adapting perfectly to the broadest marketing and market needs, but also to every single internal specificity”.

“Even in the beverage sector, customer engagement together with the collection and analysis of data will become increasingly central and in this scenario companies that are able to offer personalized experiences and build strong relationships with their consumers, through the adoption of innovative solutions, they will have a significant competitive advantage.”

TopSyl is already an excellent response to this challenge.

Chocolate Easter eggs e and colombe in the name of solidarity for the Cassoli Group team.

SOLIDARITY AT EASTER PASSES THROUGH THE ANT FOUNDATION

The professionals of CPS Company, Ecocap’s and Nema Automazione have chosen to rely on the ANT Italia ONLUS Foundation for their chocolate Easter eggs and colombe.

Through a dedicated purchasing group, the Cassoli Group staff was able to contribute to supporting the cause of the Foundation which for years has been dealing with oncology prevention and free specialist home care for cancer patients.

Hygiene, safety, sustainability and communication: these are the elements of TopSyl, the Ecocap’s patent adopted by S. Bernardo for the mineral water that supplies Bologna FC 1909.

Acqua S. Bernardo, with cans protected by TopSyl, hydrates Bologna FC 1909 in the current and in the 2024-25 season. This collaboration highlights the Club’s commitment to providing its athletes and supporters with the best services and products, while underlining Acqua S. Bernardo’s attention to the environment and hygiene.

It is an important partnership that also involves Ecocap’s since S. Bernardo, a company under the control of the Montecristo Group and active in the mineral water and soft drink markets, has adopted the innovative eco-sustainable capsules TopSyl, an international patent by Ecocap’s.

At the basis of this choice is the desire to guarantee the hygiene of the can packaging and to stand out at a marketing level, exploiting all the elements of the can as a communication tool. TopSyl, the sealing system proposed by Ecocap’s, has proven to be the ideal choice to achieve these objectives.

A further advantage of the TopSyl system is its sustainability; TopSyl is in fact a heat-sealed aluminium disk which, not requiring the use of glue, is totally recyclable: a safe, hygienic and 100% eco-friendly solution!

ACQUA S.BERNARDO AND TOPSYL: SUSTAINABILITY AND ATTENTION

Acqua S. Bernardo is a historic brand, known not only for the quality and purity of its mineral water, but also for its constant commitment to environmental sustainability.

The company has adopted important measures to reduce its environmental impact, limiting the use of plastic and investing in green technologies and practices, such as the adoption of TopSyl.

Bernardo water is available not only for the first team, but also for the youth sector and the women’s team. Furthermore, it is present in the hospitality areas of the Renato Dall’Ara stadium.

A commitment to quality, sustainability and attention to hygiene that S. Bernardo, together with TopSyl, makes available to the entire large “rossoblù family”.

A vision, one of solidarity and education, which has always animated the initiatives and activities of the Cassoli Group. With a concrete commitment to serving the local community.

The connection and collaboration with the surrounding community have always been essential elements for the Cassoli Group, which participates on the front line in the construction of careful social sustainability in the contexts in which it operates.

This type of commitment translates into support for organizations such as the Emporio Solidale il Sole, a non-profit association in Casalecchio di Reno, which distributes food aid and provides accompanying measures to assist people in difficulty. 

A support, that of the Cassoli Group, which made it possible to support “Latte al Sole” in 2023, a project which resulted in the purchase of 0 km milk from local farmers, material for packaging the products and to support general expenses of the project for the period of the year.

An attention paid to the community that the Cassoli Group has decided to pursue also in 2024, renewing its proximity to the Emporium, which contributes with its activity to improving the well-being of the local community.

LATTE AL SOLE THE PROJECT SUPPORTED BY CASSOLI GROUP

The Emporio Solidale il Sole supports numerous vulnerable families, providing food, personal and domestic hygiene products, and offering a point of listening and exchange between people.

Among the activities carried out by the structure is the “Latte al Sole” project which was born within the collaboration with the local high schools promoted by the Metropolitan City of Bologna and the Municipality of Casalecchio di Reno.

The Emporio Solidale il Sole purchases milk at zero km from local farmers, helping to support the economy and agriculture of the area. The A. Serpieri Agricultural Institute, thanks to the authorized laboratory present within it, processes milk into products such as yogurt, cheese and similar products.

The process involves students and professors, promoting the achievement of multiple objectives: training of students and their involvement in solidarity activities, combating food poverty, spreading correct lifestyles and combating diseases linked to food poverty.

Finally, the processed products are made available to families in difficulty in the care of Emporio il Sole.

Over the course of the year, the structure has grown by implementing projects such as the creation, within the Institute, of a chicken coop with Bolognese hens that will supply eggs and derived products to the Emporium.

New visibility to cans: TopSyl is the ally that every company wants to spread its personalized communication on the offline market.

TOPSYL BY ECOCAP’S: THE PATENT THAT WORKS

In an increasingly competitive world, differentiation is the key to standing out. With TopSyl of Ecocap’s the perception of the product improved and extremely effective communication campaigns are created. TopSyl also promotes an increase in sales.

Easily applicable to any type and format of canned drink, TopSyl is much more than a protection system.

Made up of a thin protection heat-sealed to the top of the can, TopSyl can be positioned to cover it, without requiring the use of glues.

In addition to guaranteeing hygiene and food safety, TopSyl is a strategic ally in gaining the consumer’s attention. To be added as a new and distinctive element in communication activities, it can be used to personalize the can and transform it into a marketing channel. Thanks to TopSyl, capturing the public’s attention has become easy.

BUILD CUSTOMERS LOYALTY WITH TOPSYL

TopSyl doesn’t stop there. The customization of the can through this innovative seal goes beyond the visual aspect: it translates into a deeper connection with customers by strengthening the brand bond.

In a period in which personalization and customer experience are fundamental, TopSyl stands as the distinctive element that makes marketing campaigns effective and captivating.

Discovering the potential of TopSyl and transforming the appearance of cans to the fullest allows you to enhance the brand image, ensuring quality and a completely new competitive advantage.

Some states record significant numbers in terms of can recycling, but the material thus obtained does not always remain in the sector. A study commissioned by the International Aluminum Institute highlights positive aspects and critical issues in the context of can recycling.

Properly recycling aluminium cans could lead to savings of 60 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, according to a recent report commissioned by the International Aluminium Institute. This study looked at the industry and the circular economy globally, focusing on evaluating can management systems in Australia, Cambodia, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. The choice of these six countries is based on their ability to significantly represent various production and cultural modes.

EACH COUNTRY HAS ITS OWN RECYCLING

For each of the six states taken into consideration, various aspects were examined, including waste management, current regulations, collection structures, recycling and disposal rates, volumes introduced on the market, usage trends, overall performance, used beverage can trading, material flows and future goals. These six countries are divided into three main categories:

• Countries that rely on informal methods for collecting aluminium cans, such as Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, which rely heavily on large numbers of informal workers and experience high recovery rates thanks to the revenue generated from cans.
• Developed countries, such as Australia and South Korea, which base their waste management on complex systems such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) and/or return systems (DRS).
• Countries in transition, such as the United Arab Emirates, where collection infrastructure is largely developed, but mandatory or well-functioning EPR systems, as well as DRS, are lacking.

As a result, South Korea has the highest recovery rate of 96%, followed by Vietnam at 93%, Cambodia at 90%, Thailand at 86%, Australia at 74%, with the United Arab Emirates leading they record the lowest rate at 33%.

Aluminum cans remain the favorite in the alcohol and soft drinks industry, with global consumption expected to increase by 50% between 2020 and 2030 (i.e. 420 to 630 billion cans per year).

CAN-TO-CAN RECYCLING STILL STRUGGLES

The “can-to-can” recycling process of aluminium cans continues to encounter difficulties, as highlighted by Marlen Bertram, Director of Scenarios and Forecasts at the International Aluminium Institute.

Bertram says this comprehensive study confirms what was published in 2022, claiming that globally 71% or more of all aluminium cans placed on the market are recycled. Adding losses during processing, the recycling rate of aluminium cans increases to 79% in the six countries analysed. However, it should be noted that this figure refers to general recycling, which involves melting used cans into new ingots.

The main problem is represented by “can-to-can” recycling, i.e. the direct transformation process from can to can, which records significantly lower rates. In the case of Korea, the country with the highest recovery rate, only 37% of new cans are recycled using this approach. In this specific ranking, Thailand stands out with 78% “can-to-can” recycling, making it the best in this practice.

The RTD (Ready-to-Drink) market in the United States is constantly evolving, with notable growth, but moderating due to changing consumer preferences and product innovation.

Over the past decade, the U.S. ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage market has seen considerable growth, accounting for nearly 12% of the total alcoholic beverage market, surpassing the U.S. wine market.

Growth has been driven primarily by hard seltzers, but post-pandemic, the RTD category is undergoing a transformation. The RTD market in the United States is expected to grow only +1% annually between 2022 and 2027, according to IWSR.

IWRS has identified these key changes:

• Premiumization. The RTD category saw an annual increase in average price per serving in 2022, in part due to the expansion of alcohol-based cocktails/long drinks.
• Hard Seltzer Slowdown. Hard seltzers experienced a decline in volume in 2022, primarily due to the decline of malt-based hard seltzers and competition from rival segments such as long cocktails.
• Taste Innovation. Taste remains an important driver for consumers, with 49% citing it as their primary motivation for purchasing. Hard seltzer flavors are evolving rapidly, ranging from fruit to tea, from cocktails/sodas to fruit smoothies.
• Cross-category partnerships. Collaborations between alcoholic beverage companies and mixer manufacturers are becoming common, creating new distribution opportunities in the market.

These changes reflect the evolving dynamics of the RTD beverage market in the United States.

THE OPINION OF JACOPO CASSOLI, GENERAL MANAGER OF ECOCAP’S

The dynamism of the canned drinks sector is also confirmed by the words of Jacopo Cassoli, general manager of Ecocap’s who, after his recent business trip to the United States, comments:

«The forecasts for the future of the sector are positive; in the USA there is a buzzing market that follows the trends linked to new consumption opportunities. This is an evolving market area, ready to welcome both new types of hard seltzer and canned wine, which is increasingly appreciated by consumers. For us at Ecocap’s» – continues Jacopo Cassoli – interesting and profitable contacts have been made with companies that operate in this area. The segment linked to CBD (or cannabidiol)-based drinks should also be monitored, as well as the much larger beer segment. Although the American market is experiencing a decline in demand for craft beers, important brands or those included in structured corporate contexts such as multinationals are resisting. And for us at Ecocap’s the canned beer market in general continues to be a priority reference horizon».

For the first time in history, Brazil recycled as many aluminium cans as it produced.

Many Brazilians like to consume soft drinks and drink canned beer, with an average of 156 cans per year for each citizen.

Many of them throw these containers on the street, but despite this bad habit, in 2022 Brazil managed to recycle a number of cans equal to those consumed, thus setting a record.

A positive result made possible thanks to the presence of a dense network of collection centres which in turn supply the cans to the large recycling giants.

Aluminium has also become the material of choice for collectors, more profitable than cardboard, lighter to transport and easier to collect. Can recycling contributes to a turnover of around 1.1 billion euros.

Thanks to the work of these centres and the people they support, according to data from Recicla Latas, the association representing companies involved in aluminium recycling, Brazil has reached this historic milestone.

Over the last ten years, the recycling of this material has prevented the emission of 15 million tons of greenhouse gases. Overall, 390,000 tons of cans were recycled in Brazil, equivalent to 31.8 billion units marketed.

ECOCAP’S: INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ON THE RECYCLING SIDE

Thanks to its TopSyl patent, Ecocap’s plays a significant role in innovating and transforming the style of cans, giving them a more modern, hygienic and safe appearance.

Ecocap’s seals are made of aluminium and joined to the can by heat sealing, without the need to use glue. This solution offers brands a new communication and marketing opportunity, while at the same time ensuring high standards of safety, convenience and hygiene.

A distinctive feature of Ecocap’s is the attention to environmental sustainability: the caps are ecological and 100% recyclable and the machinery guarantees excellent returns with reduced energy consumption.

Thanks to the offer of versatile and ecological solutions, Ecocap and the TopSyl patent reach the Czech Republic.

Thanks to Ultrapak, exclusive distributor of Ecocap’s in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Czech company Amix™ Nutrition has implemented with Ecocap’s the application of the aluminium seal on a new series of energy and regenerating drinks, Cell up, in cans of various capacities.

Thanks to the Ecocap’s CSS020 automatic machine, a thin sheet of 100% aluminium with a thickness of 35-40 microns is applied to the can lid without glue, using only the innovative and patented Ecocap’s thermomechanical method.

The seal protects the can lid from dust, viruses, bacteria and moisture. It is resistant to low and high temperatures of can storage, and it is also waterproof, so the product can be stored in refrigerators and even in ice and water.

TopSyl protects the consumer from a dirty can, but it is a great tool to make can stand out on the store shelf with additional graphics on the lid.

ECOCAP’S: VERSATILE, INNOVATIVE AND ECO-FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS

Constantly engaged in the development of innovative solutions to preserve and protect canned drinks, Ecocap’s provides the beverage sector with cutting-edge and highly performing machinery.

Ecocap’s has patented TopSyl, the system consisting of a thin protection heat-sealed to the top of the can. It guarantees hygiene and safety from packaging to consumption.

TopSyl can be applied to any type and format of canned drink, without requiring the use of glues.

A distinctive feature of Ecocap’s is the attention to environmental sustainability: the caps are ecological and 100% recyclable and the machinery guarantees excellent yields with reduced energy consumption.