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Spray September 2016

Expansion to boost aerosol can recycling in Germany Germany’s largest aerosol can recycler Respray, a division of Remondis, has modernized and expanded its facility at Bramsche. The company claims to now have the capacity to process up to 6500 tonnes of aerosol cans every year. Approximately 80,000 tonnes of aerosol cans are produced annually in Germany but only 10% of these are professionally recycled, according to Remondis. About 60% of these end up at Respray. Remondis uses HazPak (short for hazardous packaging)—a technology supplied by the Canadian manufacturer Eko Environmental. Discarded aerosol cans can be dangerous as they contain traces of flammable propellant gases; the HazPak system binds liquids and then captures and removes any propellants that may be released. A compressor liquefies the propellant gas so it can be later used as an energy source. Liquid residue in the cans is extracted and thermally treated. Moreover, all tinplate and aluminum metals are automatically washed, compacted into briquettes and returned to the production cycle. Through its HazPak facility, Respray can process greater quantities of aerosols and recover more materials for recycling. For more on German aerosol statistics, see page 22. For more on aerosol recycling in the U.S., see page 19. view these brands as extensions of their personality, thus may be willing to spend more on packaging. Ease-of-use Consumers want easy, precise and messfree application in aerosols, no matter if it’s a food or a sun care product. Sustainability Over the past decade, customers and consumers have been more interested in sustainability in their packaging, such as alternative alloys for lightweighting cans, less usage and less cost. Plastic Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other plastic aerosol containers are still in consideration as a substitute packaging choice because of their ability to be used with compressed gas, safety, non-flammable applications and use in a wide variety of applications. However, suppliers still have not seen a significant demand for them in the Southern U.S. region. Food In the food category, our surveyed suppliers have conflicting observations. The bad news is that food products in aluminum aerosols have declined over the past couple of years and aerosol food in the U.S. and Europe has been limited, which may be due to cultural preferences/traditions. The good news, however, is that data for North America indicates that food aerosol categories are growing and demand for aerosol 16 Spray September 2016 in various food products, including whipped creams, mayonnaise, ketchup, chocolate, etc., might propel industry growth. Developed markets enjoy products that have not been in aerosol packaging before such as aerosol batters, herbs, salad dressings and eggs. U.S. consumers for food products have become more adventurous, sampling new ethnic foods, unlike in years past. Also, time-pressured lifestyles in the U.S. translate to packaging platforms that deliver ease-of-use, convenience and time-savings. Personal Care Personal care, being the largest application in 2015, was valued at $22.13 billion globally. Suppliers agree that personal care product usage tracks with other fashion-oriented businesses. In emerging markets, there is a greater focus upon personal well-being and hygiene concurrent with rising household incomes. There can be good reason to think that this could continue to grow because of rising demand for deodorants among male populations looking to better their living and hygiene standards, along with rising disposable incomes in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. Because of their ease-of-use, AP/Deo is a dominant aerosol product category almost globally, including India, South America and Europe. In India and other emerging markets, disposable income is increasing, more people are moving into urban areas and interest in AP/Deo and body sprays is growing. The U.S. and Canadian markets are still dominated by stick deodorant, but sprays are starting to take share and gain traction. With Unilever leading the charge and smaller brands following suit, there are now quite a few aerosol SKUs on shelves at most major retail locations. Travel-sized aerosol AP/Deos are common in Europe, but right now suppliers surveyed have only heard of one brand in the U.S., available at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Given that the U.S. market usually follows Europe’s lead a year or two later, suppliers predicts that the travel-sized aerosol AP/Deo market will grow. Aerosol nail polish was available in Europe about a year before it was offered in the U.S. Dry shampoos are doing very well because they address a true consumer need. They have grown tremendously over the last few years, and will continue to as more personal care brands add on to their product mix. Additionally, travel-size dry shampoos are becoming more common. At-home “nail salon” products are also hot right now. Products include aerosol nail polish removers and aerosol nail polish, which was available in Europe about a year before it was offered in the U.S., and “is growing like Park Avenue is one of India's most popular AP/Deo lines for men. Aerosol churro batter is marketed in Europe.


Spray September 2016
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