Beverage Cans Market By Material Type (Aluminum, Steel, Others), By Can Type (Slim Cans, Standard Cans, Sleek Cans), By Beverage Type (Alcoholic Beverages (Beer, Cider, RTD Cocktails), Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Carbonated Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks, Juices, Functional Beverages), By Capacity (<100 ml, 100–250 ml, 250–500 ml, 500 ml), By Distribution Channel (Direct Sales to Beverage Manufacturers, Company-Owned Sales Teams, Physical Stores, Wholesalers, Online, Vending Machines), Global Market Size, Segmental analysis, Regional Overview, Company share analysis, Leading Company Profiles And Market Forecast, 2025 – 2035

Industry Outlook

The Beverage Cans market accounted for USD 44.1 Billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 80.3 Billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of around 5.6% between 2025 and 2035. The Beverage Cans Market refers to the manufacture and distribution of metallic tins, particularly aluminum, which are used in containing beverages, which include soft products, beers, juices, and energy products. As lightweight, long-lasting, and extremely recyclable, the aluminum can is preferred by consumers and brands with much concern for the environment. It is fueled by increased demand for sustainable and portable packaging as well as an increasing RTD beverages market.

The recent developments in the design of cans and degree of individualization are being used to add value and create unique selling propositions within a highly saturated market. With each year that passes, the environmental legislation tightens, and Beverage Cans remain a popular choice of packaging.

Report Scope:

Market Dynamics

Rising Demand for Sustainable Packaging Drives Growth in Beverage Cans Market

The global emphasis on environmental conservation has highly enhanced the demand for aluminum Beverage Cans since they are easily reusable and can be recycled. Customers are focusing on environmentalism and packaging waste, and aluminum cans fulfill both because aluminum has one of the highest recycling rates. Increasingly, brands are turning into cans because recycled aluminum is significantly lower in embodied energy than new aluminum.

Governments and environmental organizations have also continued to encourage the use of sustainable packaging that is also good for the Beverage Cans business. This change responds to consumer trends and promotes beverage producers’ sustainability; thus, aluminum cans are preferred to unsuitable single-use plastic. Also, the use of lightweighting is developing equally, by decreasing both the packages’ materials and emissions and improving the sustainability of cans.

Increasing Consumption of Ready-to-Drink Beverages Can Demand

Growth in consumption of ready-to-drink beverages, including energy drinks, canned cocktails, functional drinks, and others – a need for more convenient and sustainable packaging, such as cans, is emergent. Mobile customers, especially the youth, are today looking for drinks that they can carry around, hence the portable and lightweight cans. These characteristics are compliance with modern conditions for transportation, storage, and cooling, which are convenient for several consumers and ensure the requirements of store channels.

Ready-to-Drink beverage trends have separate demands in both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic segments, which shows a wide distribution of demand for diverse types of products. Such a shift has seen growth in the can market, especially the growth of new products in cans, as beverage brands continue to add new canned products to their portfolios, thereby establishing cans as one-half of the packaging solution that is consumer-friendly. Thus, Beverage Cans remained one of the most suitable and appealing packaging solutions appropriate to conventional and innovative drink types in the context of constant changes in consumers’ everyday activities.

Growing Preference for Alternative Packaging Materials Hampers Can Market Growth

The increase of consumer standards for more sustainable packaging material types like glass, plastic, and biodegradable materials is a challenge for the Beverage Cans market. Metal recycling does not meet today’s consumer demands as consumers want packaging that reflects their values and needs (glass for bottled juices and kombucha, biodegradable material as a response to more direct ecological problems). For example, glass receives consumer preference owing to quality and re-use factors, and PET plastic owing to its lightweight and lower cost for packaging, especially in the waters and sports drinks segment.

Further, improved biodegradable formats and plant-based plastics are goods that are vulnerable to environmental sensitivity therefore not concentrating on aluminum and steel cans. The said shift puts pressure on beverage manufacturers to steadily incur costs on sustainability measures and novel products for them to stand out. As a result, the can market faces pressure to address these consumer trends while maintaining the advantages of metal packaging, particularly in areas of recyclability and durability.

Emerging Markets Present High Growth Potential for Beverage Cans Manufacturers

Currently, these regions, including Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, remain promising markets for Beverage Cans manufacturers because populations in these regions are becoming urbanized, more people have disposable income, and the middle-income populations in these regions are increasing. The population in these regions transforms towards more on-the-go and RTD, and thus the demand for effective, long-lasting, and sustainable packaging, such as aluminum cans, grows too.

Also, in these markets, governments are starting to consider sustainable packaging and recycling a priority, and such attributes of aluminum cans complement the government’s inaugural goal on this front. Beverage manufacturers both regional and global are beefing up their footprint in these markets to meet demand, which in turn drives demand for cans. To counter this, Beverage Can manufacturers are coming up with new manufacturing plants, blanketing the markets with more efficient logistics networks, and customizing their cans to suit consumer tastes, which include smaller can sizes like the ‘affordable’ single-serving bottles or the colorful cans that align with consumers’ tastes in the region.

Technological Advancements in Can Design Drive Consumer Interest and Demand

Innovations in technology are lurking in the Beverage Can makers to develop enhanced aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability of can designs, therefore stimulating the consumer pull. Functionality features like high-definition print and newly developed textures like embossed and customized package shapes help brands capture young and design-sensitive consumers at the time of purchase. Also, improvement in the level of light weightiness has led to cheap production of aluminum cans since they consume fewer materials. These technological enhancements also create innovative marketing possibilities using cans as a surface for limited editions or s-up seasonal campaigns.

Advanced sealing and insulating abilities work in concert to provide the consumer with the added benefit of longer freshness retention of the beverages while maintaining the proper temperature. In summary, the main developments in the Beverage Cans solution are flexible conversion leading to the desired canned volume, lighter and thinner material with better formability, and application-focused innovations, so driving canned beverage continued commercial success in developed and developing nations.

Industry Experts Opinion

"The demand for aluminum Beverage Cans is surging as consumers and brands prioritize sustainability. Aluminum’s infinite recyclability makes it a preferred choice in the circular economy."

• John Hayes, CEO of Ball Corporation

Segment Analysis

Based on material type, the Beverage Cans Market has been classified into aluminum, steel and other materials. Aluminum leads this category because it is lightweight and corrosion resistant, one of the most recyclable types of metal, and is commonly used to package both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Whereas steel cans are not so frequently used today, they are used where required, and their utilization is appreciated because of such cans’ strength.

Based on the can type, the Beverage Cans Market is divided into slim cans, standard cans, sleek cans, etc. each type being suitable to certain types of beverages and customer base. Energy drinks and other premium beverages are preferred in slim and sleek cans, while carbonated soft drinks and beer go well in standard cans.

Based on Beverage, the classification of the Beverage Cans Market includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Within alcoholic beverages, beer has the biggest market share due to the increasing desire for easy-to-carry packaging and then followed by cider and RTD cocktails. Among nonalcoholic beverages, cans dominate the most, and significant contributions are from carbonated soft drinks, energy and sports drinks, juices, and functional drinks. The cross-classification consumption of Beverage Cans in different drinks and the rising trend in needs portable, sustainable can packaging solutions are some of the main drivers for this growth across these segments.

Regional Analysis

North America Beverage Cans Market dominates the industry due to higher demand for ready-to-drink beverages and effective consumer pull towards sustainable packaging. Big players, including Ball Corporation and Crown Holdings, continue to propel market developments in recyclable lightweight aluminum cans. Also, due to its ready market structure and consumer consciousness towards recycling and environmental conservation, North America has continued to be the best market for aluminum cans for most brands of beverages.

The Asia-Pacific is considered the most promising, with escalating urbanization, a higher number of middle-class consumers, and developing demand for ‘spontaneous’ coffee in such countries as China and India. Customers are gradually turning to aluminum cans for recycling with backing from government bodies on matters concerning the environment. It becomes useful to point out that the available beverage portfolios and local manufacturing investments increase the demand for Beverage Cans in the region.

Competitive Landscape

The manufacturers competing in the Beverage Cans Market strategic structure include several industry leaders as well as numerous regional players. Market leaders are Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings, and Ardagh Group because they have massive production capacities, a worldwide presence, and technological advancements in cans. These companies concentrate on this trend and develop sustainable cans, suitable for the increase of recyclable packaging contingents. On a similar note, both are also investing in new and improved printing and customization capabilities to address growth concerns for beverage brand players.

Other smaller suppliers, especially from the new economic countries, can offer low prices and supply locally, which is attractive to beverage firms. This is in the backdrop of oscillating raw material costs, which leads to manufacturing competition concerning the effort made to find better ways of reducing the amount of material used and hence the manufacturing costs. The increased popularity of PET & glass as a can’s alternatives forms a threat to Can manufacturers to tell the positive attributes of aluminum. Specifically, the market can be described as competitive, with companies focusing on gaining a larger share of the market, establishing their sustainable development, and building cooperation with beverage manufacturers.

Beverage Cans Market, Company Shares Analysis, 2024

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Recent Developments:

• In January 2024, NOMOQ, a pioneer and leading provider of digitally printed cans in Europe, launched its Blank Cans Service for European drink brands. This new offer includes blank (undecorated) aluminum Beverage Cans, which expands NOMOQ's product range beyond its core business of digitally printed cans. This initiative is expected to provide greater flexibility and customization options for European drink brands, allowing them to create unique and personalized packaging solutions for their products.
• In June 2023, Ball Corporation showcased its latest aluminum can and bottle portfolio at the BevNET Live Summer 2023 event. This showcase included new supply locations for 6.8 oz, 8.4 oz, and 250 mL can sizes, as well as their exclusive Alumi-Tek aluminum bottles. In addition, the company sponsored the BevNET Live Official Happy Hour during the event, encouraging attendees to explore the latest innovations in beverage packaging.

Report Coverage:

By Material Type

• Aluminum
• Steel
• Others

By Can Type

• Slim Cans
• Standard Cans
• Sleek Cans

By Beverage Type

• Alcoholic Beverages
  • Beer
  • Cider
  • RTD Cocktails
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages
  • Carbonated Soft Drinks
  • Energy Drinks
  • Juices
  • Functional Beverages

By Capacity

• <100 ml
• 100–250 ml
• 250–500 ml
• 500 ml

By Distribution Channel

• Direct Sales to Beverage Manufacturers
• Company-Owned Sales Teams
• Physical Stores
• Wholesalers
• Online
• Vending machines

By Region

North America

• U.S.
• Canada

Europe

• U.K.
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

• China
• Japan
• India
• Australia
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Mexico
• Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

• GCC Countries
• South Africa
• Rest of Middle East & Africa

List of Companies:

• Ball Corporation
• Crown Holdings, Inc.
• Ardagh Group S.A.
• CANPACK S.A.
• Silgan Holdings Inc.
• Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.
• CPMC Holdings Limited
• Orora Limited
• Envases Group
• Nampak Ltd.
• Showa Denko K.K.
• Universal Can Corporation
• Daiwa Can Company
• Rexam PLC
• Metal Container Corporation
• Shenzhen XinYuan Packaging Technology Co., Ltd.
• Visy Industries
• Alcoa Corporation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)