Resealable cans: Is there a gap in the market between plastic bottles and cans?
Xolution’s XO closure – with its resealable operating system – was launched two years ago after four years of R&D. The company has now announced its next generation can end as it increases production capacity to 400m units annually in January 2016.
The XO closure system is a resealable opening mechanism, which works by sliding the closure strap back or forward over the opening. The system also contains a tamper-proof seal to assure consumers the can has not been previously opened.
Energy drinks
The first generation of XO cans has been taken up by several energy drinks: Vulcano in Brazil, E-On Energy in Russia, and Epic in Pakistan, for example.
The resealable opening mechanism is made from plastic, joined to the aluminium shell. The company says the XO ends are suitable for a variety of products, and can be used on existing filling lines.
The next generation of can ends will have thinner plastic parts on the closures to reduce total weight and stacking height. Heat resistant plastic has been used to support high-temperature pasteurization and hot fill.
“Since we are still a relatively young company, our main challenge is to get known in the market,” a spokesman for Xolution told BeverageDaily.com.
“We have been targeting can manufacturers as well as global beverage brands and have also noticed interest from smaller companies.
“Important regions are the US with a huge share of the global beverage can market, Russia and the Baltics, Europe and Asia. We also have sales offices in these areas.”
Recycling options
The product is targeted towards on-the-go consumers, among others. But why create a resealable can when resealable options have existed in other packaging formats for generations?
The company admits that resealable cans are more expensive than their traditional counterparts, but believes environmental considerations will push more consumers and brands towards cans.
“The comparison between PET bottles and resealable cans contains many factors. Plastic bottles have a big target on them from environmental groups because they're made with petroleum.
“Cans are endlessly recyclable and have a small transportation footprint because they stack tightly, there's less wasted space when they're shipped. Both plastic bottles and aluminum cans can be recycled. However, only 10 percent of bottles are recycled when compared to 50% of cans. Cans also are more efficient to recycle than bottles.”
