Despite all the adversities in the past crisis year 2020, the performance of the companies grouped together in the International Organization of Aluminum Aerosol Container Manufacturers (AEROBAL) was quite impressive. Regardless of the very difficult economic environment and all the upheavals in the global markets caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, global deliveries by AEROBAL members fell by just 1.7 percent in 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year. With a considerable total production of roughly 5.7 billion aluminum aerosol cans, the industry was only slightly below the record results of the past few years. AEROBAL members represent around 70 percent of all aluminum aerosol cans produced around the globe.

Looking back on the pandemic year 2020, AEROBAL Secretary General Gregor Spengler stated: “Especially in this crisis situation, the advantages of aluminum aerosol cans as packaging material have once again come into their own. Their outstanding safety and reliability, paired with excellent functionality and the exceptionally high hygiene standards, which are of course even more important in times of pandemics, have paid off. Together with the efficiency and flexibility of our member companies, this has ensured that we have come relatively well through the difficult last year compared to other industries.”

But, of course, the pandemic has also left its mark on the sales markets for aluminum aerosol cans. The slight decline is due not least to lower demand for deodorants, the core market for aluminum aerosol cans. But sales of other personal care items and hair care products also declined. In addition to a general reluctance to consume, it was above all the mobility restrictions that had their effect. Since consumers were less on the go and going out, they also used less products such as deodorants and perfumes, body, hair care and cosmetic products. The uncertainty among consumers and various travel restrictions also caused the number of holiday trips to collapse dramatically, which also explains the noticeable decline in demand on the market for sunscreens and similar products.

On the other hand, the specific situation around Covid-19 caused a noticeable increase in demand in certain sectors, such as disinfection and hygiene products. And as the mobility and exit restrictions made consumers more and more stay at home and spend more time in their own four walls, the demand for household products and similar applications also increased.

However, these increases could not fully compensate for the lower demand in the volume-wise dominating markets for deodorants, body and hair care.

In a global comparison, the individual regional markets for aluminum aerosol cans presented themselves rather differently. Deliveries to the EU-27 and UK markets fell noticeably. The markets in Africa and the Australian-Asian region also showed a negative trend. Due to a somewhat more solid demand from Central and South America, the deliveries in the whole of America remained relatively stable. Deliveries to countries outside the EU-27 and the UK developed positively in Europe. And the markets in the Middle East region also grew slightly.

Due to the still difficult and hardly foreseeable pandemic situation, AEROBAL President Leopold Werdich is expecting a continued volatile demand during the first half of 2021: “The planning horizons are extremely short, the customer forecasts are fraught with many uncertainties and new projects are approached rather cautiously. Should the pandemic situation relax more and more thanks to extensive vaccinations and further progress in combating the virus, so that consumers can regain their normality and mobility, we expect a sustained increase in demand from the third quarter onwards.”

In the medium and long term, the AEROBAL President is optimistic about the future: “In a society for which environmental aspects as well as health and hygiene standards play an increasingly important role, the aluminum aerosol can will successfully distinguish itself and further consolidate its position as the packaging of the future. Because of its clean and safe use and its excellent recyclability, it offers the decisive plus in consumer-friendliness, resource efficiency and real sustainability.”

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Contact:

Gregor Spengler
Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie e. V. (GDA)
AEROBAL Secretary General
T + 49 211 4796-144
gregor.spengler@aluinfo.de