Ball Corporation is launching a new impact extruded aluminum bottle line that provides a circular solution to plastic pollution. In the hands of our sustainability, innovation and product design experts, aluminum is taking shape as a new bottle – the Infinity™ Aluminum Bottle – that is designed to be made again. Available in various shapes and sizes, this impact extruded aluminum bottle can be customized for numerous beauty, personal care, food and beverage products.

Unlike other substrates in these categories, such as plastic shampoo bottles or jars for cosmetics, Ball's aluminum bottles are infinitely recyclable, and can be turned into other aluminum products over and over again. The new product line will be showcased at the Packaging of Perfume, Cosmetics & Design (PCD), Premium and Luxury Drinks (PLD) and Aerosol Dispensing Forum (ADF) in Paris Jan. 29-30, 2020.

"Plastic waste that ends up in the natural environment has led to more public discussion about packaging, its life cycle and recyclability," said Jason Galley, director of innovation and sustainability, Ball. "Consumers are demanding more environmentally friendly solutions for packaging their everyday products. We combined our product design and sustainable aluminum packaging expertise to develop another truly circular packaging solution – the Infinity™ Aluminum Bottle."

Ball's new impact extruded product line is suitable for packaging almost any liquid. The innovative aluminum bottles are available in a range of sizes and formats, and are customizable for various products. Ideal categories for the Infinity™ Bottles include shampoos and conditioners, soaps, body creams, spirits, energy shots, yogurt, dressings, syrups, condiments and more. The bottles are available with a re-closable threaded cap that allows consumers to twist the top on and off.

An infinitely recyclable package

The Infinity™ Aluminum Bottle line features all of the sustainability credentials of aluminum. Like Ball's aluminum beverage cans, cups and Alumi-Tek® bottles, the impact extruded aluminum bottle is monomaterial – it consists of only one material and can be easily sorted and recycled. In fact, aluminum can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing quality. Aluminum also retains its value throughout the recycling process, so it can be kept in circulation indefinitely without becoming waste and ending up in the ocean or in landfills. In fact, 75 percent of aluminum ever produced (since 1888) is still in use today.¹

After use, an aluminum bottle can be recycled and returned as a new packaging format in just 60 days. It can also be recycled to take on a new life as another aluminum product, such as consumer electronics or a bicycle. Other substrates achieve much lower recycling rates and, if recycled, are in many cases down-cycled and eventually become waste.

Lightweight product with endless branding options

In addition to strong recycling credentials, aluminum bottles have a number of other advantages that help improve resource efficiency and enable circularity. For example, aluminum is lightweight, which saves energy in transportation. Once bottles are ready for design, they can be branded without the use of sleeves or labels. Even the most creative and complex designs can be printed on aluminum using the full circumference of the bottle.

Ball's innovative high-definition printing and graphic design technologies such as Eyeris® HD printing, UV light reactive ink, Matte & Gloss, or Tactile printing help brands to create custom packaging and differentiate themselves to stand out on the shelf. Additional shaping and embossing solutions, such as Ball's 360° technology, are also available.

¹ Source: The Aluminum Association