Highly resistant, impermeable to liquids and radiation, excellent for preserving and keeping safe the products it contains, metal is an extremely reliable material for packaging production. If we add to this its recyclability and reuse possibilities, metal truly does have a part to play in the future of packaging.

A still relatively underused material, but whose use is growing

In the packaging landscape in France, metal is the second-least represented material, with only about forty production plants, 6,500 direct jobs and 13,500 indirect jobs in 2021 identified in the industry. In France, metal packaging accounted for only 5% of total packaging in 2017. This is somewhat down on the rest of the world, where it accounts for 12.2%.

However, metal packaging is a strong generator of value and business for France, and it carries significant weight in the packaging industry: its turnover of €1177 million in 2021 is the third-highest in the industry, behind plastic and glass, and 8% of jobs generated by packaging are directly linked to metal. Lastly, with a 29.2% export rate (3rd highest for all materials) and an international turnover of €648 million, metal packaging exports well and is a real asset for French packaging on the international scene.


Versatile and ecological, a material in phase with the expectations for the sector

Yet, above all, metal packaging is an investments catalyst: the rate of investment among metal professionals is higher than the average in packaging: 10.3% as against 9.1%; and it is broadly self-financed. These investments are bearing fruit, with improvements to the product: steel and aluminium packagings, over the past 20 years, have seen their weight reduced by 33% and 28% respectively.

Do the manufacturers see in this a solution for the future, for facing the new social and ecological challenges that have increasingly weighty implications for the world of packaging?

It is true that this material offers many benefits to make it an extremely efficient packaging resource: versatile, it comes in many forms to adapt to its content, it is easy to store (and therefore easy to transport) and highly resistant, all essential qualities in a production chain that is sometimes very long and unwieldy in terms of logistics and transportation. Above all, it is its 100%-recyclable nature that gives it a considerable advantage, as consumer demands focus increasingly on the ecological impact of products (packaging included).

It is, moreover, the most recycled material in France, with a recycling rate of 77% including cans, which have jumped more than 9.5% in the space of two years (2019-2020).


ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS supports you in promoting your metallic packaging solutions

ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS is a unique opportunity for meeting a wide range of decision-making professionals from the industries that use metallic packaging. CEO, R&D managers, logistics managers, product managers and buyers from the sector, all coming together on the lookout for bespoke solutions, are just waiting to be won over by what you have to offer. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your business.

To ensure maximum visibility, why not take advantage of the tools that we are putting in place to help you meet prospective clients who may be interested in your solutions:

  • An index per material in the paper catalogue and a search filter per material in the online catalogue
  • A visitor pathway dedicated to metal solutions
  • A list of products to which you can add your own new offers and/or innovations
  • A matchmaking app for making appointments with your customers or prospects
  • A mediakit for you to publicise your presence at the show with customised banners

With its conference programme and events dedicated to the challenges and the future of packaging, ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS offers a comprehensive round-up of the role and use of packaging. Come and show your customers and prospects that you have your place in the packaging world of tomorrow. Make a date in 2024.

Sources: ADEME Emballages magazine No. 1012 Snfbm

The glass
The plastic
Plastic container

The plastic

Plastic remains the dominant material in the world of packaging, since it is safe, hygienic and convenient. Available in many forms, flexible or rigid, watertight and solid, plastic can be used for making all kinds of resistant packagings for a competitive cost. However, the rising tide of ecological concerns puts it in the firing line of consumers and authorities alike, and if it is to remain the flagship packaging material it must quickly adapt and make amends for its significant ecological impact. This is the new challenge for the plastics professionals.
Paper bag

Paper & cardboard

Cheap, easy to work with and highly appreciated for their ecological fibre, paper and cardboard are extensively used in packaging manufacture. Although the apparent fragility of paper and card may appear to impose limits on their use, consumer expectations concerning packaging do however confer on them a front-line role.
ribbon

The alternative materials

The revolution in the packaging and intralogistics ecosystem does not only concern materials that are already in use. By compelling industries to innovate, it encourages them to invent new solutions, which are more sustainable and kinder to the environment.