Smart packaging is quickly emerging as a growth driver for aluminium, merging sustainability and storytelling. Connected packaging, thanks to QR codes, AR, and AI-powered personalisation, has emerged as a high-impact tool in the food and beverage industries. It is delivering high 14 per cent scan rates, three-minute average time spent, and a 30 per cent sales boost with almost no extra media investment.
A new frontier for the industry
Aluminium packaging is perfectly positioned to reap the benefits of this new frontier as companies embrace it. Not only is aluminium premium in appearance, recyclable, and resilient, but it is also the perfect material on which to embed interactive technology. It has the potential to improve consumer experience while driving up sustainability.
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The global demand for aluminium cans and foil is on the rise. The global market for aluminium packaging is expected to grow from USD 55.5 billion in 2023 to USD 85.6 billion by 2032, while demand is likely to rise to 627 billion cans by 2030. Concurrently, the demand for aluminium foil will cross 6 million tonnes by 2025 due to not only conventional food wrapping but also rising use in EV batteries.
A huge global opportunity
The market is clearly shifting to packaging that is smart, interactive, and personalised. Appetite Creative's 2024 Connected Packaging Survey revealed 96 per cent of brands intend to increase smart packaging investment, up from 59 per cent in 2022, evidence that packaging is one of the strongest brand-building tools out there. Smart packaging is forging the future for the aluminium packaging industry.
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