Sustainable aluminium packaging company Ball Corporation, won the ADF Sustainable Innovation Award at the Global Aerosol & Dispensing Forum (ADF) Innovation Awards during Paris Packaging Week 2025, with its ReAl Gen 2 Fa Can.
The 150ml lightweight aluminium aerosol can was developed in collaboration with German personal care company Henkel for its body care brand Fa.
The aerosol features Ball’s proprietary ReAl Gen 2 alloy, which was designed to meet the growing demand for sustainability in packaging while ensuring compliance.
The innovation was launched in September 2024 and is currently the lightest impact-extruded aerosol can available in Europe, according to Ball, which said it is aiming to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint.
Ball’s senior key account manager Europe, Katharina Moller-Racke, said the innovation “represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to develop lighter, more sustainable packaging solutions. She added: “We are excited about the impact it will have on the beauty care industry.”
The packaging company said the ReAl Gen 2 alloy enables further light-weighting of the can, supporting both sustainability objectives and cost-saving opportunities.
According to André Pastore Bertin, who is head of R&D packaging Europe beauty at Henkel Consumer Brands, the innovation has helped to advance Henkel’s sustainability efforts, to support its commitment to reduce absolute GHG emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3 by 90 percent by 2045.
“We’re proud to use the innovative ReAl Gen 2 150ml can for our brand Fa. Collaborations like this one are important for achieving our sustainability goals and reducing our environmental footprint along the value chain,” Bertin said.
Minority investment in packaging tech company
Ball Corporation has also recently announced a minority investment in Meadow – a packaging technology company based in Sweden that focuses on developing circular solutions.
The partnership will support the production of fully recyclable aluminium cans as pre-filled cartridges for personal care products.
Ball said it will supply the cans and ends, which will be placed in reusable dispensers and brought to market as Meadow scales up operations.
CEO of Meadow Victor Ljungberg said the partnership with Ball has offered the company global reach for its circular packaging solution, which can expand the availability of a cost-efficient, easy-to-use, and recyclable pre-fill technology.
“Together, we are accelerating the adoption of circular packaging among global consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands across multiple categories,” he said.
The Meadow Kapsul technology is available at scale for the market and is expected debut in stores in 2025. The solution is simple - a can that serves as a cartridge, prefilled with products such as soap or shampoo, is placed in a reusable dispenser. By using pre-fill solutions, we reduce materials and energy usage, while optimizing logistics and transportation.
This innovative packaging technology allows brands to transition to circular packaging without compromise. It also delivers unmatched convenience and intuitiveness for consumers, driving interest and enhancing repurchase intentions.
