By Robyn McMillan, Ph.D., PPG Packaging Coatings
Imagine dumping a garbage truck of plastic waste into the ocean every minute.
According to U.S. experts, that is exactly what is happening. In fact, at least 8 million metric tons of plastic waste1 enters the world’s oceans each year.
That’s why the packaging industry is faced with a unique opportunity to stem the tide in plastic pollution with a shift to aluminum cans, a recyclable alternative. At this moment, nearly 75% of new beverages2 are being launched in cans, as established brands such as Bubly make the move to a more sustainable solution while emerging categories like seltzers are opting for cans as well.
Along with this industry-wide shift to cans, it is important to manufacture them in compliance with ever-evolving mandates surrounding the use of bisphenol A (BPA) or other bisphenol starting substances, which have raised concerns related to a range of adverse health issues.
Coatings manufacturers are now tasked with supporting the trend toward sustainability by providing products that help lower costs, improve performance, and exceed product safety standards, all while continuing to enable brands to differentiate their products on store shelves.
Plastic Effects
The conversation around the negative environmental impacts of plastic waste is nothing new, as the mass production of plastics began more than six decades ago. But it is a topic that has started to gain traction in recent years due to the visible impact that plastic pollution is having on earth’s environment and landfills.
In fact, according to Great Britain’s Royal Statistical Society, only about 9% of all plastic ever made has likely been recycled. At this rate, by the year 2050 there will be 12 billion tons of plastic in landfills.3
The growth of beverage can production is a way to stem the tide on plastic pollution. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global beverage can market size was $25.31 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow to $36.59 billion by 2027.4
BPA and Bisphenol Starting Substances: An International Language
It is important for the growing number of cans to be both sustainable and safe—and that is where factors surrounding BPA and other bisphenol regulations enter the discussion.
Beginning more than a decade ago, nations around the world, as well as some U.S. states, began restricting BPA thresholds. As the global packaging industry transitions away from the use of BPA and other bisphenol starting substances with internal, food-contact products, coating manufacturers are paying close attention to additional regulatory actions around the globe regarding other materials used in food and beverage packaging in order to prepare for the future.
When considering alternatives, coatings manufacturers need to keep all factors in mind, from the starting substances to the potential migration of these substances into food or beverage. For instance, when consumers purchase packaged products, they can have the peace of mind knowing that product development researchers followed protocols and substance testing regimens to provide safe and fresh products.
Regulatory requirements vary by region—and even by state—raising questions about how manufacturers and brand owners can prepare for the future.
That is why coatings manufacturers—which have the responsibility to produce globally accepted products while staying ahead of evolving regulations—can give can manufacturers a competitive advantage.
The 2015 French ban on BPA and California Proposition 65 regulations began a shift in global canmaking to eliminate BPA from internal food contact coatings. The next chapter in this story is playing out right now in Europe with the European Food Safety Authority proposal to drastically lower the maximum total daily intake of BPA from 4 micrograms per kg per day to .04 nanograms per kg per day. Coatings suppliers and can makers are actively anticipating the final implications of the proposal.
The “Candemic”
As the popularity of food and beverages packaged in cans continues to grow, can makers are finding it more difficult than ever to keep up with demand. The combination of increased at-home consumption and global supply chain issues have made aluminum cans harder to come by for many brands—a situation some call the “candemic.”
When you consider the fact that beverage can production lines run 2,000 to 4,000 cans every 60 seconds, maintaining speed and continuity are key. These facts reinforce the need for reliable and extremely consistent can coatings to keep the beverage can production process running smoothly and at maximum output.
A global coatings manufacturer’s presence and geographically dispersed production facilities helps to ensure a secure and reliable supply chain, minimizing the disruptions to product availability that have plagued some packaging coatings manufacturers.
But it is not just the large geographic footprint of these global suppliers that is important; it is also the experienced technical service teams in their organizations. These technical service experts work side-by-side with customers to solve problems, improve line efficiency, and help ensure successful application of coatings to benefit brands and protect their consumers.
As a longtime supplier in the beverage market, PPG has developed a range of internal coatings designed to meet the evolving regulatory requirements for beverage cans—including its non-BPA PPG Innovel® internal spray coatings that have been applied to hundreds of millions of cans across the globe. First introduced to the market more than 10 years ago5 as the first non-BPA internal coatings for aluminum beverage cans, the line of Innovel coatings continues to innovate and improve to ensure can manufacturers and beverage brands around the world can prepare for the future.
Robyn McMillan, Ph.D., is the global beverage segment manager at PPG Packaging Coatings. She has earned numerous accolades over her 33-year career—including five U.S. patents—and has played a leading role in the growth of innovative Packaging Coatings products such as Innovel.
References
- Ocean Conservancy website. https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/ (accessed April 21, 2022).
- Reiley, L. “Libation frustrations: Holiday supply chain problems hit the beverage industry.” Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/12/08/beverage-supply-chain-shortages/ (accessed April 21, 2022).
- Parker, L. “Planet or Plastic: A whopping 91% of plastic isn’t recycled” National Geographic study by Great Britain’s Royal Statistical Society. Dec 18, 2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastic-produced-
recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment/ (accessed April 21, 2022). - Forbes Business Insights website. “Beverage Cans Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product (Aluminum and Steel), Application (Carbonated Soft Drinks, Alcoholic Beverages, Fruit and Vegetable Juices, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027.” Jan 2021. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/beverage-cans-market-104706/ (accessed April 21, 2022).
- PPG Packaging Coatings website. https://www.packagingcoatings.com/en-US/solutions/ppg-innovel-coatings/ (accessed April 21, 2022).