Beyond Beer and Soda: Cans and the Future of Beverages Packaging in the Americas

Delivery

This report comes in PPT.

Key findings

Beer and carbonates dominate can packaging but the mix is starting to diversify

By 2026, about a fifth of all beverage cans in the Americas will be used for drinks that are not beer or carbonates, a remarkable jump in a short period of time (it was less than a tenth until a few years ago). With cans still increasing share within beer and carbonates as well, this points to a future in which beverages are ever-increasingly to be found in cans.

Can usage in beer and carbonates will still increase even among category headwinds

For beer, cans will need to focus on capturing emerging segments like craft and non-alcoholic in order to hedge against future trouble in the core lagers, while in carbonates the key will not be fighting the overall carbonates decline and instead aiming to poach occasions from PET. In both cases, sustainability will be a key selling point and one that cans will need to communicate effectively.

Healthier and functional beverages will be the key emergent growth segment

At a regional level, energy drinks have done the most so far to bring cans into new categories, although in North America waters and alcoholic RTDs have shown how emergent segments have a strong tendency to appear in cans. Collectively, it can be said that new forms of alcohol and functional soft drinks are the key areas into which cans will expand in the future.

Infinite recyclability is the can’s core sustainability advantage and one that needs to be made truly a reality

The aluminium production process is highly energy intensive; so, if the beverage can is truly to be sustainable, it needs closed-loop recycling. Parts of the Americas are already at near 100% recycling rates while others recycle less than half of their cans. Future legislation, particularly targeting plastics, will be needed to boost rates in these laggard countries.