Environmentally friendly products

The aim of product development work is to constantly enhance the functionality of the beverage can.

By reducing the amount of natural resources used and developing environmentally friendly preliminary materials, we minimise the harmful effects on the environment. The top priority is always full compliance with the food and drugs legislation.

Optimal use of materials

At Ball Packaging Europe, there is an on-going process to reduce the amount of material used for the beverage can. Since 1973 it has been possible to reduce the weight of the 330 ml tinplate can over 55% and that of the 500ml can over 38% since 1983.



Intensive co-operation with material producers in the development field has made it possible to guarantee the extremely high quality standard of the beverage can and even to enhance it. This long-term co-operation is essential because we place extremely stringent requirements on the steel sheet. Tinplate production is therefore subject to by far the highest quality standards in the entire steel industry.

As far as the can end is concerned, the introduction of the so-called "neck", the tapering of the can diameter towards the end, also brought about a material saving and consequently less burden for the environment.

The can end contour was designed to ensure maximum rigidity and minimal material thickness.

Developments in respect of aluminium alloys have led to a reduction in the can end thickness and consequently further savings in material. As a result the quantity of aluminium used in can end production has been reduced by some 47% since 1987.

Environmentally friendly preliminary products

All the aluminium and steel alloys (tinplate) which we use can be recycled, both in the form of the scrap from the production process and also of post-consumer cans.

Over the past few years, we have developed water-based alternatives for all the varnishes which we use, in close co-operation with our varnish suppliers.  By consistently changing to these systems, it has been possible to reduce solvent consumption by some 70% since 1990.

At the end of the 1990s, the can end varnishes containing PVC were replaced with new more environmentally friendly epoxy varnishes.

The sealing compound used to seal the can end to the can body has been changed from a solvent-based to a non solvent-based compound.

One of the most recently introduced developments is an absolutely solvent-free UV-cured varnish for the base rim of aluminium cans.