Quick overview: The metal packaging industry is facing a broader range of orders, greater pressure for production efficiency, new technologies and environmental criteria that are already influencing materials and processes. Together, these changes are increasing demand for suppliers equipped to address real manufacturing challenges — topics that will also be part of the OneCan Metal Can Summit & Expo.
Contents
- A large market that is becoming increasingly diverse
- Flexibility is now a key demand in the metal packaging industry
- Efficiency matters both on and beyond the production line
- Circularity is influencing materials, design and processes
- New demands affect each business differently
- How suppliers are responding to these changes
- Frequently asked questions
A large market that is becoming increasingly diverse
Brazil’s packaging industry ended 2025 with a gross production value of BRL 165.7 billion, according to a study by ABRE in partnership with FGV. In the aluminum beverage can segment, 34.1 billion units were sold during the same year, the second-highest volume ever recorded in Abralatas’ historical series.
The scale of this market is being accompanied by changes in the types of products reaching store shelves. Canned water, for example, grew by 24% in 2025. Ready-to-drink beverages, juices, energy drinks and cachaça also gained ground, expanding the use of metal into categories beyond the beverages traditionally associated with this type of packaging.
This growing variety creates new requirements for manufacturers and suppliers. A beverage may call for a different container size. Food, aerosols, cosmetics, personal care products, paints and chemicals all have their own requirements for preservation, protection, coatings and closures.
Production processes need to accommodate this variety when new products require changes in format, volume, finish or specifications, and the ability to adapt directly influences the types of projects a company can take on.
The table below brings together recent figures that show how these changes are already taking shape across the market and what they mean for businesses in their day-to-day operations.
| What the numbers show | Recent data | What it reveals |
| Brazilian packaging industry | BRL 165.7 billion in 2025 | The sector’s economic significance in Brazil |
| Aluminum beverage cans | 34.1 billion units in 2025 | A high-volume market expanding into new categories |
| Canned water | 24% growth in 2025 | Greater diversity among beverages adopting this format |
| Physical packaging output | -0.3% in 2025, following 6.4% growth in 2024 | The importance of productivity, cost control and efficiency |
| Aluminum beverage can recycling | 97.3% in 2024 | The high percentage of cans returning to the production cycle |
Sources: Brazilian Packaging Association (ABRE/FGV); Brazilian Association of Aluminum Can Manufacturers (Abralatas); and Recicla Latas.
Flexibility is now a key demand in the metal packaging industry
Large production runs remain part of the industry’s routine, particularly for widely consumed food and beverages. At the same time, product launches, seasonal campaigns, regional products and smaller brands are generating orders that do not necessarily begin in the millions of units.
Digital can printing is a good example of this shift. The technology makes it possible to work with smaller volumes, shorter lead times and high-definition graphics, making it suitable for launches, special editions and projects that do not yet require large production runs.
It also gives companies greater freedom to select the production method that best fits each project. Offset printing continues to serve high-volume runs, while digital printing provides greater flexibility for smaller quantities and customized designs without requiring the same scale from the outset.
A brand, for example, may want to test a new beverage in selected regions before expanding distribution, create a special edition for a particular season or develop dedicated packaging for a product launch.
Handling orders like these depends on several parts of the production process. Setup time, available formats, printing capabilities, tooling changes and factory organization all come into play. When these stages can be adapted more easily, different types of orders can be incorporated without disrupting the rest of the operation.
Efficiency matters both on and beyond the production line
Figures from the packaging industry help explain why productivity remains a priority. After growing 6.4% in 2024, the sector’s physical production remained virtually stable in 2025, changing by -0.3%, according to the ABRE and FGV study.
When production volumes are not growing at the same pace, reducing waste, avoiding unnecessary downtime and making better use of available resources become decisive factors for competitiveness. Efficiency, however, is not simply about making machines run faster.
Unplanned downtime comes at a cost. The same applies to excessive scrap, rework, unnecessary energy consumption and delays in identifying the source of a quality issue.
This is where automation, sensors and data analytics come into play. Rather than addressing a problem only after a defective item has already been produced, a connected factory can monitor equipment performance in real time and anticipate maintenance needs.
This shift is also changing the types of investments companies make. Machinery remains essential, but software, inspection systems, specialized support and technologies that can integrate with existing factory infrastructure are becoming increasingly relevant.
For suppliers, these needs are also shaping the development of new solutions. Strong results can often come from targeted changes, such as improving a critical stage of production, reducing a recurring loss or providing clear data that helps teams respond quickly.
Circularity is influencing materials, design and processes
Brazil has established a strong track record in aluminum beverage can recycling. In 2024, 97.3% of the cans sold in the country were recycled. A total of 417,700 metric tons were recovered, equivalent to 33.9 billion cans, according to Recicla Latas. Brazil has now maintained recycling rates above 96% for 16 consecutive years.
Reaching this level depends on an organized system of collection, reverse logistics and recycling, but environmental considerations begin long before disposal. They are already present in packaging development, the amount of material used, coatings, industrial processes and decisions that can make it easier to recover the metal after use.
Lightweighting is a good example. Removing a small amount of raw material from a single package may seem like a minor change. Across millions of units, however, the impact becomes much greater and can mean lower metal consumption, less weight in transportation and fewer resources used throughout the process.
The issue takes on another dimension when companies operate in international markets. Packaging and waste regulations are being updated in different regions, introducing criteria related to recyclability, recycled content and post-consumer management. These changes are already part of commercial relationships with international customers and can influence material specifications, packaging design and production processes in other markets.
The challenge is to combine these choices with the basic functions packaging must perform every day. Protecting the product, ensuring safety, withstanding transportation, preserving the contents and running properly on the production line remain fundamental requirements. Innovation has to work within this equation.
New demands affect each business differently
These changes affect companies in different ways. A packaging manufacturer may need to adapt a production line to accommodate new formats or reduce changeover time between production runs. Machinery and equipment manufacturers, meanwhile, are seeing requirements related to automation, productivity, maintenance and faster, easier changeovers.
Suppliers of inks, coatings and raw materials face their own requirements involving performance, safety, material reduction and recovery. In technology, inspection systems, process controls and data analytics can help identify faults, monitor quality and provide a clearer picture of what is happening throughout manufacturing.
These needs intersect at several points across the industry and often depend on one another. A new package may require equipment adjustments, a different coating, changes to printing or a new approach to quality control. Meeting current market requirements brings several areas of expertise together around the same product.
How suppliers are responding to these changes
New formats, process changes, environmental targets and technological advances are affecting several areas of the industry at the same time. A need identified on the factory floor can lead to the search for different equipment, materials, components, systems or specialized services. This is where suppliers can demonstrate how their solutions address real industry challenges.
The OneCan Metal Can Summit & Expo will be the first trade show in Latin America dedicated exclusively to the metal packaging industry. From April 6 to 8, 2027, at Distrito Anhembi in São Paulo, the event will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, brands and industry experts to discover technologies, exchange experiences and discuss needs that are already part of the sector’s day-to-day operations.
For suppliers of machinery, raw materials, components, technologies and services, exhibiting provides a direct opportunity to present their solutions to professionals looking for new approaches to their operations and projects.
Want to bring your solutions to the OneCan Metal Can Summit & Expo 2027? Find out how to take part.
