Can of the Year 2022

According to the adage “necessity is the mother of creativity,” entry to the 2022 The Canmaker Cans of the Year exemplified this credo during a difficult year for the industry.

Despite new economic and supply-chain obstacles replacing those produced by the Covid-19 pandemic in the two preceding years, the 2021-2022 batch of cans demonstrated that innovation and inventiveness remained intact in the face of adversity.

This year’s panel of esteemed judges, who, as always, were recruited from the canning business, the design community, and the world of brands, detected a cheerful spirit in the proposals of the highest caliber.

This may be a reflection of the growing significance policymakers, brands, and consumers are placing on metal packaging, as they recognize the can’s recyclability and contribution to the creation of a sustainable circular economy.

The fact that, for the first time since 2019, the winners were able to receive their medals in person at a special gala dinner held during The Canmaker Summit in October added to the celebratory mood.

Although the competition was not canceled during the coronavirus epidemic, Covid-19 mitigation measures and associated travel restrictions necessitated a virtual awards presentation.

This year, however, contestants and delegates gathered in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, to honor the industry’s best and brightest.

Outstanding cans

The judges deemed the can created by NOMOQ, a distributor and printer for the craft beverage sector based in Switzerland, to be the 2022 Can of the Year due to its outstanding visual impact.

Made for Dr. Brauwolf, Zurich’s first craft beer brewery, the 330ml D&I aluminium can had a matt and spot varnish textured surface that contributed to the vessel’s ominous aspect, befitting the image of a wolf howling at the moon.

The digitally printed can for Dr. Brauwolf’s Sour IPA won gold in the Beverage Two-Piece category, as well.

Although it contrasted with the elaborately ornamented three-piece tinplate container that won the award the previous year, the judges acknowledged that a well-executed minimalist design can be just as memorable.

One of the judges observed, “This can has a nice backstory — a new company targeted toward the craft beer market that has excellent style innovation and a design that provides value.”

The judges were thrilled to learn that the can was designed in NOMOQ’s Kirchheimbolanden plant in Germany and carried via train to Dr. Brauwolf’s brewery, thus reducing the product’s carbon impact.

In the Beverage Three-Piece category, the distinctive appearance and polish of the entry from China’s ORG Technology made it a deserved winner.

The design, which included a rough crackling finish with a conical end, was hailed as “beautiful, wonderful, and futuristic.”

ORG, one of China’s top manufacturers of two-piece aluminium beverage cans, worked diligently to guarantee the 980ml container was easily customizable, had a quality appearance, and was difficult to counterfeit. The three-piece welded tinplate container for Beijing Guangyu Culture Communication’s #024 beer line was created with shelf appeal in mind.

Metal offset printing and wrinkle varnish were used to create the iridescent look on the can’s body. The jet-black letters and conical screw top convey a sense of contrast and richness, similar to the bottles historically used for Chinese rice wines, while the uneven roughness of the can provides a pleasing tactile experience.

Cap with varied hues

Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) won the Prototype award with a printed end embellished with flawlessly rendered, intricate and color-drenched details that allow graphics to protrude from the can body. The H!ghend prototype, which can be implemented in both aluminum and steel, has rectified a technology that has previously been plagued by the occurrence of cracks and misalignments induced by the end-forming process.

One of the judges remarked, “This is quite attractive and I can see it being very popular.” The entry featured AMP’s H!ghend technology, a decorating process that assures can ends are as colorful as the can body they seal.

H!ghend is introduced at a time when brands are attempting to differentiate their cans and enhance their shelf appeal. Previously unconsidered can ends are now an integral element of a can’s design and provide an additional branding opportunity. AMP stated that H!ghend has the capacity to offer up to 200 distinct designs in a single batch in a “unlimited number of colors.”

Aryum Aluminium Aerosols of Turkey was likewise daring with color, and its design for the J. Junaid Jamshed Pour Femme body spray made the bottle impossible to overlook.

The bottles’ 360-degree embossed printing was deemed “electrifying and mesmerizing” by the judges, who awarded the firm gold in the Aerosol category, which it had last won in 2020. The impact-extruded aluminum can is available in four different forms, and the judges noted thoughtful details such as the actuator being the same color as the can.

They concluded, “Extremely refined with an excellent bottom stamp.”

This year, Ends, Caps, and Closures was a popular category, with judges saying that canmakers submitted a greater diversity of goods than in previous years. Tinpac, situated in the United Kingdom, prevailed against fierce opposition. They won for a uniquely designed tinplate screw-top lid, which was attached to a three-piece welded tinplate infant formula container manufactured by Independent Can.

Traditionally, infant formula cans are capped with plastic lids, but the design for ByHeart utilized a metal cap comprised of two components of pressed tinplate. The exterior of the container is colored in ByHeart’s distinctive blue, while the interior is intended to house the measuring scoop used to pour the powder.

The judges admired the creativity of this design, which eliminates the need for parents of infants to normally pick out the scoop from the powder.

the situation. They stated that the addition of an all-metal container to a product line that often includes plastic closures highlights the benefits of metal packaging.

Tin Horse of the United Kingdom, which created the can, stated that it chose a metal lid because the packaging’s ability to be recycled made it more enticing to consumers.

The can, which is certified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), received the favor of the judges, who praised its “excellent design” and “fantastic advancement to promote metal packaging.”

Winning food cans

The Food Three-Piece category also had a bumper crop of high-quality entries this year with entrants winning Gold in a total of three classes.

Winning Gold for the category was India’s Nikita Containers, whose embossed three-piece welded tinplate can was agreed to have a “stunning design”.

Made for Forest Bean’s Matanga coffee beans, the can has a green, gold and white colour palette with a slip lid and valve to keep the beans fresh even if the container is opened multiple times.

Another standout design for the judges came in the Decoration & Print Quality category in which TinPak of Sri Lanka submitted an “opulent and vibrant” lock-seam tinplate container for a brand of Ceylon tea.

“A traditional tin with a traditional finish makes it stand out in a world of matt

finishes,” judges agreed as they praised the vibrant refined decoration for Seraya Plantation’s Al Safir Tea, which is topped with a lever lid.

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are part of every canmaker’s brief and it was the can made with ‘low- carbon’ steel for Ricola herbal drops that won Hoffmann Neopac the Gold award in the Sustainability category.

In partnership with German tinplate producer thyssenkrupp Rasselstein and confectioner Ricola, the Switzerland-based canmaker used patented Bluemint steel to produce the three-piece welded tinplate can. Bluemint steel has 70% “reduced CO2 intensity” compared with a conventionally- made hot-rolled strip, the canmaker said. Judges were delighted that the product was “a demonstration of collaboration between multiple parts of the canmaking value chain”.

Hoffmann Neopac said carbon emissions relating to the can are further reduced because the sheets of Bluemint steel are transported from Germany to Switzerland by rail and its Swiss canmaking facility is powered by 100% renewable electricity.

Another benefit to customers that choose low-carbon steel is that it can be part of their strategies to reduce scope-three GHG emissions – those that refer to discharges made by suppliers and customers.

Sustainably made

Hoffmann Neopac wasn’t the only winner to highlight the sustainability of its packaging offering. Top prize in the Bottles category went to Trivium Packaging, Argentina, for its range of three impact-extruded aluminium bottles.

Made for K-Happy Indústria e Comércio de Bebidas Low Ka, Brazil’s first alcoholic kombucha, each 473ml bottle is made with an aluminium alloy that contains up to 10% post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminium.

“Elegantly executed,” was the judges verdict on the bottles, which are decorated with a dry offset printing process that brings warmth to their tones of soft cream, green and peach.

The look of the metal-capped bottle dovetails with the brand’s desire to highlight that Low Ka is made from natural ingredients and is low in calories.

“The varnish gives the bottles a wonderful sheen,” the judges agreed.

The Fancy Cans division was won by a sustainable package for a sustainable product. Klann Packaging, Germany, designed two lock-seam tinplate secondary containers for Everdrop, which makes household cleaning products and natural cosmetics. The brand shuns single-use plastics and Klann Packaging’s clean- looking design fitted well with Everdrop’s zero-waste commitment.

Judges agreed the fine embossing on the lid, body and end resulted in “beautiful finishing”.

It was the many good features that Colep Packaging in Portugal combined in its three- piece welded tinplate pail that won the canmaker gold in the General Line division.

Designed for AkzoNobel Coatings Bruguer paint, the 2.5-litre and 5-litre cans have a broader opening diameter so the paint is more easily poured or accessed. Colep Packaging’s new RL closing system specifically supports frequent opening and closing of the pail while ensuring the seal remains intact and the packaging undamaged. The stackability of the cans and the detachable plastic carry handle when it is time for the can to be recycled were also benefits that the judges applauded.

CAN OF THE YEAR 2022
WINNER NOMOQ, Switzerland

Digitally-printed 330ml D&I aluminium can with matt and varnish textured finish for Dr Brauwolf; Dr Brauwolf Sour IPA craft beer

DELEGATES’ CHOICE 2022

WINNER Hoffmann Neopac, Switzerland

Three-piece welded tinplate can with easy-peel and plastics

lid made from thyssenkrupp Rasselstein Bluemint CO2-reduced steel for Ricola; Ricola herbal drops

AEROSOLS

GOLD Aryum Aluminium Aerosols, Turkey

Impact-extruded aluminium can in four designs with 360-degree embossed shaping for J. Junaid Jamshed; J. Pour Femme body spray

SILVER Montebello Packaging, USA

Impact-extruded aluminium can with split-ink printing for American Spraytech; Dr. Scholl’s Athlete’s foot treatment spray

BRONZE Crown Cork & Seal, USA

Three-piece welded tinplate can with metallic finish for 18.21 ManMade; 18.21 – Spirits Spritzer body spray

BEVERAGE THREE-PIECE

GOLD ORG Technology, China

980ml three-piece welded tinplate with crackle textured print for Beijing Guangyu Culture Communication; #024 beer

SILVER Daiwa Can Company, Japan

Film laminated three-piece welded tinplate can for Suntory Foods; Starbucks Coffee Choice

BRONZE Envases Öhringen, Germany

Special edition three-piece welded tinplate 5-litre keg with Spot- ify playlist via QR code for Gaffel Kölsch; Gaffel Kölsch beer

BEVERAGE TWO PIECE

GOLD NOMOQ, Switzerland

Digitally-printed 330ml D&I aluminium can with matt and varnish textured finish for Dr Brauwolf; Dr Brauwolf -Sour IPA craft beer

Joint SILVER Crown Embalagens Metalicas da Amazonia

Brazil 350ml D&I aluminium can with tactile varnish for Inab – Industria Nacional de Bebidas; Therezópolis GOLD lager

Joint SILVER Canpack (Brzesko)

Poland, 500ml D&I aluminium can with frosty tactile effect for Saku Brewery (Carlsberg); Saku On Ice non-alcoholic beer (radler)

BRONZE Toyo Seikan, Japan

Neck embossed 375ml polyester laminated aluminium (aTULC) can for E&J Gallo Winery; Dark Horse wine

BOTTLES

GOLD Trivium Packaging, Argentina

Lightweight 473ml impact-extruded aluminium bottle with up to 10% PCR for KHappy Indústria e Comércio de Bebidas; Low Ka alcoholic drink

SILVER CCL Container, USA

Reusable 740ml impact-extruded aluminium bottle made from 100% recyclable aluminium for PathWater; Path purified water

BRONZE Montebello Packaging, USA

12oz impact-extruded aluminium bottle with Marvel graphics for Sports Water; Water Co spring water

DECORATION & PRINT QUALITY

GOLD TinPak, Sri Lanka

Lock-seam tinplate can with lever lid and vibrant graphics for Seraya Plantation; Al Safir Tea ceylon tea

SILVER Nikita Containers, India

Embossed three-piece welded tinplate can with slip lid and valve for Forest Bean; Forest Bean – Matanga/Nari coffee beans

BRONZE Brasilata, Brazil

Digitally-printed three-piece welded tinplate can with 1,500 different lid designs for Make Make/Brasilata holidays gift

ENDS, CAPS & CLOSURES

GOLD Tinpac, UK (Tin Horse Design, UK)

FDA-approved tinplate cap with scoop dock for ByHeart; ByHeart infant formula

SILVER Toyo Seikan, Japan

Aluminium easy-opening end with finger fitting tab for ITO Shokuhin and various brands; products include mackerel, tuna, and fruits

BRONZE Independent Can, USA

Embossed tinplated steel closure for U. S. Smokeless Tobacco Company; Copenhagen tobacco

FANCY CANS

GOLD Klann Packaging, Germany

Lock-seam tinplate secondary container with clean

fresh design and fine embossing for Everdrop; Everdrop cleaning products

SILVER Meister, Brazil

Decorative lock-seam tinplate imperial chest with hinged lid for various confectionery companies

Joint BRONZE Eviosys, UK

Flower shaped lock-seam tinplate container with slip lid for Mondelez; Cadbury Roses confectionery

Joint BRONZE Zenith Tins, India

Lock-seam tinplate container with flush lid and embossing for Mon- delez India Foods; Cadbury Celebrations – Rich Dry Fruit Collection

FOOD THREE-PIECE

GOLD Nikita Containers, India

Embossed three-piece welded tinplate can with slip lid and valve for Forest Bean; Forest Bean – Matanga/Nari coffee beans

Joint SILVER Crown Food Packaging, Thailand

Three-piece welded tinplate can with bespoke debossing, printed end and 12.6% material reduction for Theppadungporn Coconut; Chaokoh Coconut Milk

Joint SILVER ASA Italia, Italy

Decorative 5-litre three-piece welded tinplate can for various Italian farmers; edible oils

BRONZE Independent Can, USA

Lock-seam tinplate can with plug lid and reflective print for B&G Foods; McCann’s – Irish Oatmeal porridge

GENERAL LINE

GOLD Colep Packaging, Portugal

Three-piece welded tinplate pail with RL closing system and plastics handle for AkzoNobel Coatings; Bruguer paint

SILVER Trivium Packaging, USA

Impact-extruded aluminium threaded bottle for Bravo Sierra; Bravo Sierra sulphate-free body wash

BRONZE Montebello Packaging, USA

Impact-extruded aluminium bottle with ROPP neck for Paramount Global; Manscaped body wash

PROTOTYPE

GOLD Ardagh Metal Packaging, Germany

Printed aluminium end using H!ghend technology, which enables up to 200 different designs in one batch

SILVER Tubex, Germany

Monobloc aluminium aerosol can with PURe,

an ecologically-friendly overvarnish

BRONZE BNM, China

Peel-off end with implanted NFC

SUSTAINABILITY

GOLD Hoffmann Neopac, Switzerland

Three-piece welded tinplate can with easy-peel and plastics lid made from thyssenkrupp Rasselstein Bluemint CO2-reduced steel for Ricola; Ricola herbal drops

SILVER Ball Aerosol Packaging, Czech Republic

Impact-extruded aluminium aerosol with 50% recycled content for various customers; products include hairspray, deodorant, and hand sanitiser.

BRONZE Trivium Packaging, Hungary

Three-piece welded tinplate can with easy-open-end replacing plastics packaging for Petcura; Doothie liquid dietary supplement for dogs

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