Why Aluminum, and why you should say No to Aluminum cans.
We talk about making sure cannabis gets to those who need it, bringing a healthier way to consume your meds and treats, but our industry is not helping our environment. We promote our all-natural product but don’t talk about the packaging that is left to harm not only mother earth but our bodies. Just because it’s recyclable doesn't mean it’s the best option.
Aluminum cans are very popular for your infused beverage, but not always the right choice, Yes, they are the cheapest way to produce mass quantities of your product but have very high MQO’s that don’t allow smaller or start ups to choose the can versus the bottle.
In 2021, the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease published a study conducted by four scientists in England. They set out to understand how exposure to aluminum might impact people's genetic predisposition to dementia-related illnesses, like Alzheimer's.
I have an old golf buddy that is so allergic to aluminum that she can not drink from a can, you may know of someone also. The studies have shown that Aluminum in our deodorant is bad for us so what makes you think drinking from a can would not be.
The reason for the high MQO’s
Each can must be sprayed to protect your product and the consumer, some are sprayed twice.
The coating on the interior of aluminum cans is to prevent the aluminum from reacting with the contents, ensuring safety and quality. Aluminum is a reactive metal that can easily undergo chemical reactions when in contact with substances like oxygen, water, acids, and bases, producing harmful substances that can affect the safety and quality of the contents. For example, without the coating, the aluminum interior of the can could react with acidic substances in beverages, producing hydrogen gas, which could potentially lead to an explosion of the can.
There are many types of coatings used on the interior of aluminum cans, typically made from materials such as epoxy resin, paint, and plastic. The type and formulation of the coating depend on the contents of the can. For example, beverage cans usually have two layers of interior coating: a surface layer and an adhesion layer. The surface layer, which is in direct contact with the contents, typically uses a non-toxic epoxy resin coating. This effectively protects the contents from external environmental factors. The adhesion layer is located outside the epoxy resin layer and generally uses a polyester coating to enhance the coatings adhesion and wear resistance, thereby improving its stability.
Currently, most factories use epoxy resin coatings containing bisphenol A (BPA). Therefore, these are usually in stock, and the minimum order quantity is lower. However, for orders requiring BPA-free epoxy resin coatings, like Cannabis and Alcohol the minimum order quantity is relatively high, starting at 300,000 cans for custom printed. Additionally, factories need to wait for other customer orders to accumulate to a total of 1 million cans before they can begin production due to environmental regulation limitations and leading to unstable delivery times.
All these chemicals added to aluminum just raises a lot a red flags for me. We are the only ones in control of what we put in our bodies and when we advertise a healthier way of life with cannabis, I would like to see us with the same thought process about the packaging we are using. According to a 2014 report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), exposure of less than 2.25 milligrams per pound (5 mg per kg) of bodyweight per day are safe (7Trusted Source). Most people are only exposed to 0.1-2.2 micrograms per pound (0.2-0.5 micrograms per kg) of bodyweight per day (7Trusted Source).
In fact, the FDA still recognizes BPA as a safe additive in food packaging, although the agency banned manufacturers from using BPA in baby formula cans, baby bottles, and sippy cups in 2012 (1Trusted Source).
Still to many red flags for me.
Alternatives to Aluminum Cans
Tetra 
Tetra cartons are the best choice and the most cost-effective sustainable product on the market. The drawback about the Tetra is its very high MQO’s 300k and they do not support a Carbonated drink but in our opinion, the more earth-saving effective replacement of the Aluminum Can. Although no one has made a Child Resistant Cap for them yet, MSN Packaging Inc. is up for the challenge if anyone wants to do so.
Glass Bottles 
We like glass bottles for a few reasons, first, the MQO for custom branding or labeling is only 10k. Glass has Child-resistant lids options and can be used for a Carbonated or Non-Carbonated Infused Cannabis Mocktail. With many options of color and sizes, Glass bottles would be our second choice for the sustainability of the Cannabis Packaging. The Drawback is that shipping glass bottles can be expensive.
Compostable Plastics 
Compostable plastics would be our first choice, but the world is not ready yet and still has a lot more work to do. MSN Packaging Inc has entered into the Compostable Plastic market with our FreezAbowl. 100% Plant-based commercial compostable. We have plans for a CR bottle as well. Just because something is recyclable doesn't mean it’s better for us. We need to start over, PLA Compostable products is where our future needs to be.
Sustainable Plastics 
Recyclable plastics would be the next option, The Plastic bottle has many solutions for your cannabis-infused mocktails. There are Child Resistant and Non-CR options, The MQOs are as low as 10k for custom or labeling. The product does not need a liner spray for food-grade safety, but still not a long-term on-the-shelf solution. BPA can seep out and become toxic after a long time of use. Good thing Cannabis moves fast. Plastic bottles can also help with lowering cost by reducing the sizes of the bottles. The option gives you choices like syrups a 2 oz or 4 oz bottle reducing the amount of plastic in our landfills. The freight and shipping cost is also an environmental savings as well as your wallet. Smaller bottles smaller boxes for shipping with high quantity for sales.
Sustainability is not an easy road to follow, but if we do not continue trying to improve our product lines then we will be contributing to the harm we have done to the plant and our bodies. I will continue to research and find the best options for a sustainable Cannabis brand. Packaging should not be another reason our opponents keep blocking the legality of this God give plant.