Packaging
Ideal packaging should be light, solid, unbreakable, non-toxic and, certainly, recyclable. Is it possible to achieve this? Yes, if we use aluminium packaging! It protects products from the light, water, bacteria, it perfectly preserves taste and odour, and is convenient for transportation. It can also maintain a required temperature for a long time. This is why the most widespread forms of aluminium package are in drinks cans and foil which are used all over the world.
The first aluminium drinks can was invented in 1972. Its weight was ten times less than the weight of a glass bottle. Modern cans are even lighter as 40% less metal is used today to produce one can than was used thirty five years ago.
Inside these aluminium cans there is a protective polymeric coat, which prolongs the product’s storage life. It guarantees that the contents of the can never actually touch the metal.
In the USA, about 50% of beer and non-alcohol drinks are stored in aluminium cans. In Russia this form of packaging is not yet as popular, but its popularity is rapidly growing and it is now difficult to imagine a Russian supermarket without rows of bright cans.
Where the attractiveness of the product is very important Aluminium is also ideal. It is easy to print a high-quality image on a beverage can to make it aesthetically pleasing.
Foil is the second most popular type of aluminium packaging. Its insulating properties make it a leader among other solid and flexible materials. A thin layer of aluminium foil, which is sometimes only 6.35 microns thick (its thickness is eight times less than a bank note) provides full protection from light and liquid. Foil is easily sterilized so it is not surprising that it is widely used by producers of medicines and cosmetic and hygiene articles. It is also commonly used for pill blister-packs.
Many of us may be aware of one other more popular way of using foil: without it girls, women and even some men would be less stylish, because hairdressers use it when highlighting or dyeing hair!
However, foil is mostly used as packaging for food products. Chocolate, chewing gum, smoked fish, sliced bacon… the list is long. It is ideal for storage and transportation, as the foil perfectly preserves the taste and the quality of the product. In addition, it is widely used when packaging hot pre-cooked food. This is why aircraft passengers are served hot food in special aviation foil packages.
The advantages of foil are not limited to the above examples: Foil can stand cold and hot temperatures: you can take it out of the freezer and place it straight into a hot oven without it melting or cracking, and it perfectly traps heat. By roasting fish, meat and vegetables with a small amount or no oil at all we can have not only tasty, but exceptionally healthy food. For this reason, people who take care of their health like to use foil when cooking.. Non-stick foil is also very useful;. The latest type of foil, which is blackened on one side, is ideal for roasting as it conducts heat even better.
But this is not all. Aluminium food trays, which are used as packaging and tableware, are increasingly being used. There are many different trays which are used for pizza, cakes, muffins and many other different dishes. Unlike other metal and ceramic baking trays, these trays are almost weightless and can be stored anywhere. For example if you want to treat your friends to a special dish at a country picnic, you can cook it in a foil baking tray, chill it, cover it with foil and take it with you without putting it into another container. Arriving at the picnic, you heat the dish in the same tray and serve it to your friends. Simple!
So, aluminium foil not only meets many ideal packaging requirements, but it can make everyday life easier too.