14.7 billion units of metal packaging are made in the UK every year, according to the MPMA. This diverse manufacturing sector includes everything from steel food cans to paint tins and rectangular tins to metal drums.
Metal packaging plays a key role in the supply chain for many British businesses, enabling their goods to be safely shipped to markets across the UK and beyond. Packaging is a commodity product. Businesses buy it because they need it to do a job, to get their product to market, and when it comes to doing that job, UK-made metal packaging offers two key benefits: durability and sustainability.
A Durable Product and a Durable Supply Chain
The metal packaging supply chain has been hit hard in recent years. The effects of Brexit, Covid-19, international conflict and latterly tariffs from the US are still being felt. It means that many imported goods, including packaging, have suffered price volatility, shipping delays and an unreliable supply.
Choosing a UK manufacturer can help businesses reduce their vulnerability to stock shortages and help them forecast their packaging costs more accurately. In demanding times for UK businesses, it is supplier relationships that matter.
Partnering with a trusted UK packaging manufacturer, like Invopak, gives businesses more flexibility. We can provide a wide range of additional support and advice on the right packaging for you, including bespoke printing, forward ordering and keeping printed plate in stock.
Sustainable UK-Made Packaging
Metal recycles forever with no loss of quality, making metal packaging one of the most sustainable types of containers available. The UK has an excellent record when it comes to metal recycling, and steel has the highest recycling rate of any packaging material in the UK, with a rate of 76.3% according to Defra.
Choosing UK-made packaging means a lower carbon footprint. Metal packaging can be heavy and bulky to transport, so reducing the miles between the manufacturer and the customer means transport emissions are minimised.
UK packaging factories can operate using a, "pull" system, where production is driven by customer demand, rather than by targets. Producing products when they are needed means that firms can react quickly to market changes, avoiding waste and excess stock production.
British Metal Packaging: Leading the Way on Innovation
Innovation does not always shout, and when it comes to manufacturing, many of the most transformative actions happen behind the scenes. Packaging factories lead the way when it comes to efficiency, with productivity in the sector more than double that of the all industry average, according to the Packaging Federation.
Metal packaging factories, "lean manufacturing" methods are the culmination of a two-step process: continuous improvement and eliminating waste. Continuous improvement might include technological upgrades, such as digital automation and robotics, as well as employee training and development. Eliminating waste means using resources effectively, whether that is time, capital, space or the workforce.
ISO 9001 is a performance-driven framework that is designed to help businesses achieve operational excellence through proper leadership, planning, support, evaluation, and ultimately improvement. A manufacturer or supplier that has ISO 9001 means they have been assessed and proven to be operating under these conditions.
Metal packaging products are also evolving. Advances in "Lightweighting", whereby packaging is optimised to be as light as possible, whilst still retaining structural integrity, have helped businesses maximise resources and minimise material and transport costs.
Flat printed plate is inspected at the factory
Digital printing, the use of QR codes, and interactive packaging technology have opened up the possibilities of what metal packaging can do.
The public's perception of metal packaging is positive, something which many companies are using to their advantage. For brands such as, "Liquid Death" the packaging is part of their USP and aluminium cans are replacing plastic bottles across the beverage industry.
Metal, one of the oldest types of packaging material, has one of the brightest, and yes, shiny, futures.
If you would like to order from us, you can buy our tins online or get in touch to speak to the team to discuss your requirements, or to arrange a factory visit, we'd love to show you round!
