Tubes Made from Recycled Aluminum
At the natural foods manufacturer Byodo, only tubes made of 100 percent recycled aluminum are now used for mustards, mayonnaise, and tomato paste.
Since the beginning of the year, the Mühldorf-based family business Byodo has been packaging its tube products exclusively in 100 percent recycled aluminum. With this step, Byodo Naturkost GmbH is one of the first in the industry. A special alloy ensures that the material properties of the aluminum tubes are in no way inferior to those made from primary raw materials, the manufacturer explains.
The material for the new mustard, mayo, and tomato paste tubes comes from the recycling of production aluminum. While it was previously used mainly for cosmetic products, thanks to a specially developed alloy, food can now also be filled into the tubes.
The new recycled aluminum tubes have several advantages: For one thing, the tube made from recycled material causes significantly less CO2 emissions during production compared to packaging made from primary aluminum. Secondly, aluminum is a raw material that is only available in limited quantities on earth. However, it can be recycled an infinite number of times. With tubes made of 100 percent recycled aluminum, Byodo thus closes the cycle for this valuable raw material.
Correct disposal is important for the eternal recycling cycle of aluminum. The tube should be emptied and put in the yellow bag or the yellow garbage can. The lid must be disposed of separately. This is the only way to ensure that the materials are sorted correctly, enter the correct recycling loop, and thusly, protect the earth’s limited resources.
Market figures
Deliveries of aluminum tubes and aerosol cans to the German market were stable in 2021 despite continuing pandemic-related burdens. Demand picked up significantly, particularly in the second half of the year, leading to an overall satisfactory result for the industry. While demand for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products was rather subdued in 2021 due to declining doctor visits, ongoing mobility restrictions, and reduced leisure activities, demand for food, technical and household products increased significantly as consumers spent more time in their own homes. There was also a significant increase in demand for aluminum cartridges, sleeves, vials, and tubes in 2021, where existing markets were expanded and new markets were developed through innovative applications.
This is explained by the AD trade association Tubes, Cans, and Impact Extrusions. Overall, the industry is looking ahead to the first half of 2022 with confidence due to promising incoming orders. “If another Covid 19 variant or a worsening Ukraine crisis with the associated uncertainties among consumers does not throw us off track, we definitely expect a further revival of overall demand, especially in the core markets for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products,” the association sums up.
