Aluminum allows designers, engineers, and manufacturers to fully utilize a wide range of physical properties. It is lighter in weight than most other metals and less expensive to ship. Aluminum offers an unrivaled mix of high strength, low weight, and corrosion resistance. It is very bendable, making it the recommended material for making collapsible tubes. It is often hammered into sheets and rolled into a cylindrical and hollow shape before being turned into a tube.
In addition, aluminum is at the top of the recycling chain because it can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing any quality. Aluminum can be recycled and used several times while maintaining all of its qualities and features for a small fraction of the cost of initial manufacturing. Aluminum recycling is attractive to producers, consumers, and environmental organizations because it may reduce energy usage and costs. The International Aluminum Institute estimates that about 75% of all aluminum produced over time is still in use today. In addition, aluminum material has unique qualities such as simple molding, lightweight, anti-corrosive, and others. These characteristics make aluminum tubes the preferred choice for packaging, leading manufacturers to prefer aluminum tubes over other alternatives. Such reasons drive the global aluminum tube market forward.
Segments of the Market
The global aluminum tube packaging market is segmented on the basis of product, cap type, and vertical. Based on product, the market is sub-segmented into twist tube, squeeze tube, and collapsible tube. Based on cap type, it is sub-segmented into nozzle cap, flip top cap, and standup cap. Moreover, based on vertical, the market is sub-segmented into cosmetic and oral care, pharmaceuticals, personal care, food and beverages, and others.
The demand for sustainable packaging is growing, which has affected the materials used by cosmetic product manufacturers as well. They are now opting for aluminum packaging instead of plastic or other forms of packaging. The cosmetic industry is growing due to the increasing number of people who use skincare and body care products. Consequently, this is affecting the aluminum packaging tube market positively.
Recent Developments
ALLTUB SAS, Almin Extrusion, LINHARDT GmbH & Co. KG, Lageen Tubes, Antilla Inc., Avdhoot Tube, American Brazilian Export Resources, Inc., Ishan Industries, and others are assisting in the market's growth through various activities such as mergers, investments, technological advancements in product development, and new product launches. Some of the recent activities in the aluminum tube packaging market include:
• In May 2022, Emballator Tectubes unveiled a line of six mono-material PE or aluminum tubes powered by renewable electricity, aimed at tiny dosage applications in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The Small Dose line includes the Twist off Recap, Twist off Reseal, Twist off Reclose, Twist off Reclose Aluminum, and Capped Aluminium tube variants. According to the company, aluminum, post-consumer recycled aluminum, and mono-material PE make up the product line, and all items are made in accordance with ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 15378: 2017 and ISO 14001 standards.
• In November 2022, The Lip Balm Company, a Chennai-based company known for its vegan products, inventive packaging, and 100% plant-based tints, released the Travel Minis from the LIPrepare line. The lip balms come in 1-gram aluminum squeeze tubes. The LIPrepare line has four flavors: Apple Ko, Chocolate Ko, Peach Ko, and Strawberry Ko.
The Aluminum Extraction Issue
According to Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, a recycling company in New Jersey, new aluminum is considerably more ecologically and economically damaging to produce than plastic, yet demand for aluminum grows every year. The impact of aluminum on the earth is significantly worse than that of plastic since the mining process has a greater environmental impact and the refining process requires more energy. Moreover, aluminum has a large carbon footprint when it is originally manufactured. The reason behind that is that aluminum is a naturally occurring metal that accounts for 8% of the earth's crust. The concern is that aluminum is always discovered as an ore, which means it is mixed with other chemicals. Aluminum must be removed from the other components using a very energy-intensive procedure. This process is often powered by the combustion of fossil fuels.
Moreover, according to TerraCycle, a new aluminum container has double the "global warming cost" of a new plastic bottle composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most extensively recycled material. Some researchers found that when the production processes for aluminium and plastic were examined, it was discovered that 1 kg of polyethylene plastic generates around 4 kg of CO2 and 1 kg of aluminum produces 10.63 kg of CO2. Plastic seems to be the most ecologically sustainable choice based only on the manufacturing process. However, when aluminum is recycled, manufacturers can save 95% of the energy. Hence, if the manufacturers want to use it, they need to ensure there's a recycling system in place.
Conclusion
The packing tube market is growing because it helps to lengthen product shelf life by providing superior barrier properties, guarding against germs, and decreasing light and oxygen transmission. Furthermore, the fast-paced lifestyle and on-the-go culture throughout the world have led to a customer preference for easy-to-carry and handle package styles. Consumers choose packaging options such as tubes and pouches for everyday-use items such as laundry wash gels, toothpaste, hair care products, fruit jams, and others, which aids in market expansion. Furthermore, throughout the projection period, the rising pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors will have a substantial influence on the expansion of collapsible tube packaging. According to the International Aluminum Institute, worldwide demand for new aluminum is predicted to rise by up to 40% by 2050, while post-consumer recycled aluminum will more than triple. Hence, according to OMR Research, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period (2022-2028)