Hello and welcome to May!

It’s May already! Can you believe it? As we head into the warmer months, there is positivity in the air. And we certainly need it. So far, 2022 has proved tumultuous; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is devastating, energy costs are hitting record highs and society is slowly recovering from the effects of the pandemic.

Businesses, however – particularly those in our amazing canmaking industry – are continually adapting and innovating to keep on top of the changing times. From newly-launched sustainability initiatives to product and technology developments, lots is going on at the moment that we can feel upbeat about.

Latamcan (the Latin American Canmakers Conference) is just under two weeks away. We’re really excited to gather at the Bourbon Atibaia Resort in São Paulo, Brazil for a jam-packed few days of networking, captivating talks, innovative exhibitors, awards and much more. As a media partner of the show, we’ve got a tabletop so if you’re attending, make sure to drop by and say hello! You can read our Latamcan preview here.

So, what have you all been up to over the past month? Here’s a brief run-down, with some key pieces of news you may have missed…

Lion Beverage has announced that its new canning facility in Pennsylvania is set to open at the beginning of 2023 and Crown Holdings is building a new high-speed aluminium line at its beverage-can facility in Agoncillo, Spain.

Meanwhile, Ardagh Metal Packaging has submitted plans to build a $200m beverage can plant in Northern Ireland and Diageo has revealed a £40.5 million investment to expand capacity at its packaging facilities in Belfast.

Globally, industry-wide sustainability efforts keep pace. New data from Trivium Packaging has revealed that consumer demand for eco-friendly and sustainable product packaging has proven remarkably stable and robust throughout the societal changes that have occurred in the last several years, which is great news for canmakers.

At Alcoa’s Mosjøen smelter in Norway, the company has completed the installation of a new furnace that uses renewable energy to recycle scrap aluminium, saving energy and unlocking the infinite recyclability of the metal. What’s more, the Ball Aluminum Cup was recently named a Gold winner by the 2022 Edison Awards in the field of Consumer Solutions: Sustainability.

We’ve also seen lots of new canned beverage product launches, including fruity Kopparberg cocktails, Bud Light Seltzers, Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer and Cameron Diaz’s wine brand Aveline, to name just a few.

If you haven’t had a chance to read our two latest features yet, check them out. Karen McKenzie examines the craft brewers supporting the fight for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, and caught up with Scott Breen, Vice President of Sustainability at the Can Manufacturers Institute, to discuss the broader Four-Pillar Initiative to aid the industry in reaching ambitious new recycling rate targets.

You can also explore all Canmaking News in Conversation podcast episodes online, which bring together market leaders in the canmaking and metal packaging world to talk about the ins and outs of our industry.

We’re buzzing to see what May has in store! If you have some news you’d like to share with the team, please email janis@canmakingnews.com. We’d love to hear from you!

 

Janis Osborn
Publisher