Steel or
aluminium?
all customers of Continental Can.
Until a few years ago all manufac
turers used the Pull Off system. By
pulling on a ring, part of the lid was
removed. However, ring-pulls that
were thoughtlessly discarded were not
good for the environment. The solut
ion to this problem was found in the
Stay-On-Tab, which has meanwhile
been introduced in many markets.
But developments do not stand
still. The size of the lid has meanwhile
been reduced and the technicians are
currently also working on a steel ver
sion of the Stay-On-Tab.
Dynamic
Not only on the technological front
is can manufacturing a dynamic
industry. Competition is keen,
explains Vice President Mr G. Phillips
Jones who is responsible for sales. At
the moment CCE is number two in
Europe but its ambition is to become a
In the world there are two
types of cans in the market for
(soft) drinks: steel and alumini
um. Continental Can is familiar
with both disciplines. On the
European Continent steel cans
are produced, in the United
Kingdom the cans are made of
aluminium.
For Continental Can, there
fore, one is not preferable to the
other. The choice between alu
minium and steel is governed in
part by the recycling systems
that are available in a certain
sales area.
worldwide packaging company with
the emphasis on beverage cans. CCE
is looking out for opportunities in
Southern Europe and in other parts of
the world.
The competitive edge focuses,
claims Phillips Jones, on the service
that you offer to the customer and not
so much on the price agreements.
Offering a good service package in
fact gives you a lead over your compe
titors. *We constantly try to under
stand the needs of our clients. Close
cooperation exists with clients like
Heineken on working systems, distri
bution, etc. In addition, we provide
training sessions for our clients'
employees.'
In recent years environmental
aspects have played a dominant role
in the can-manufacturing industry,
which is therefore being faced with
pressure from environmental groups.
market for cans showed double digit
growth each year, though 1991 did
reveal some stagnation. According to
Phillips Jones, the cool weather in
large parts of Europe and the econo
mic problems have had an adverse
effect on sales of drinks in cans.
And yet Phillips Jones remains
optimistic in view of the advantages of
cans. 'A can is suitable for high speed
filling, is lightweight, is visible and
protects the product against light.
Without restrictions to this type of
packaging, cans will always play an
important role.'
'We continue to put out the message
that the can is highly recyclable and
therefore should keep its place in the
free market. Besides, the recycling
issue involves more than just bever
age cans. Cans are just a piece of it.'
For the time being consumer
demand for can packaging continues
to climb. Over the past five years the
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
