Ball Corp. has been awarded four honors at the 32nd edition of the EMBANEWS Awards, a prominent event in Brazil’s packaging sector. The Broomfield company received awards in the categories of “Technology and Quality,” “Packaging Raw Materials,” “Innovation,” and “Sustainability” for projects developed in collaboration with Brazilian brands Aeroflex, Night Power and Soffie.
The initiatives featuring ReAl, Ball’s proprietary lightweight aluminum alloy, demonstrate advancements in material science while supporting environmental goals. The Aeroflex and Soffie projects used ReAl to produce cans that are up to 15% lighter, reducing the overall material footprint.
The Night Power can, which won the Innovation category, introduced Brazil’s first braille-embossed lid for energy drinks. This development was achieved through collaboration with Minalba and the Dorina Nowill Foundation, enhancing accessibility for visually impaired consumers. Camila Vila Verde, marketing manager at Ball for South America, said, “We believe that true innovation only happens when it is designed for everyone. Winning the EMBANEWS Award with the braille-embossed lid reinforces our commitment to accessibility.”
In the Soffie project, Ball’s optimization of the can diameter resulted in a 26% reduction in aluminum usage and a 12% improvement in the aluminum-to-product ratio, alongside incorporating 50% recycled content. The packaging also used mineral oil-free inks.
The Aeroflex initiative achieved a 23% reduction in wall thickness, resulting in a 16% decrease in aluminum content without compromising performance.
Victoria Marletta, vice president at Ball Corp., stated, “Receiving this recognition from EMBANEWS is a powerful validation of Ball’s continued leadership in advancing sustainable packaging innovation.”
