Americans Prefer Traditional, Easy-to-Use Packaging

 

Americans continue to overwhelmingly favor traditional packaging, including metal cans, in their food and beverage purchases and continue to consider the metal can the safest of all containers.

A report reveals that while the metal can ranks among the three most trusted formats, busy consumers want future metal-container innovations to keep up with their desire for simple, easy-to-use and convenient packaging. The consumer survey underscores how recent metal food-can innovations are helping the can remain the most economical, environmentally friendly and safest packaging format.

Seven of eight Americans surveyed said they favor traditional packaging - metal cans, glass and plastic - over paperboard packaging and pouches. And more than 60% favor metal cans over either of the other newer packaging types. Metal cans also are rated more often than paperboard or pouches as best at keeping nutrients without preservatives.

Food safety persists as the biggest packaging concern among Americans, with nine of ten survey respondents acknowledging they worry about the safety of their food. Americans continue to consider the metal can the most tamper-proof packaging, with 68% listing the can, followed by glass bottles or jars, 65%; plastic bottles or jars, 63%, paperboard packaging, 54% and pouches, 53%.

Eighty-six percent of respondents listed metal cans as recyclable, handily beating paperboard and pouches (67% and 33%, respectively).

The metal can always has been environmentally friendly and packagers again are returning to these more environmentally friendly materials, and focusing on recycling to benefit the environment.