The company has already been using the consumer platform Weissblech-kommt-weiter to educate end consumers about recycling, sustainability, and the benefits of tinplate for almost two years. The “Initiative Lebensmitteldose“ (ILD) information portal, the Food Can Initiative, now aims to address retailers and food manufacturers in particular. Founded in 2000, the information platform ILD is undergoing a comprehensive relaunch. The new campaign was launched by ILD founding member thyssenkrupp Rasselstein jointly with the Verband Metallverpackungen (German Metal Packaging Association), packaging manufacturers Eviosys, Kleemann, Silgan, and Trivium, and coating manufacturers AkzoNobel and PPG. “By expanding our channels, we are reaching all relevant target groups and are actively positioning tinplate as a sustainable and appealing alternative to other packaging materials in our communication strategy. We are doing this because we feel that there is growing interest among consumers in the topics of sustainability and packaging and that retailers are increasingly turning to tinplate packaging. We also intend to be more than just a manufacturer of materials for our customers. Communication is for us as much a strategic and important area as digitalization and innovative materials technology,” said Carmen Tschage, Head of Communications and Market Development, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH.
In addition to thyssenkrupp Rasselstein addressing consumers, the Food Can Initiative has been relaunched to target retailers and the food industry. The “Initiative Lebensmitteldose” website provides information on recycling, sustainability, and other advantages offered by tinplate food cans. It also advises companies on the circular economy and on the use of the “METAL recycles forever” logo, which food manufacturers may use on their tinplate packaging. The website is complemented by a LinkedIn channel of the same name. “More and more retailers and manufacturers are approaching the Food Can Initiative because they intend to switch from materials such as plastic and Tetra Pak to more sustainable and recyclable materials like tinplate for their packaging. The initiative is intended to be a center of excellence, offering professional support to retailers and food manufacturers and answering all their questions about tinplate,” Carmen Tschage pointed out.
Food cans are in the spotlight not only because of their sustainable recycling profile. Particularly in the current energy crisis, it is becoming apparent that cans made of tinplate are the more economical alternative to energy-intensive products such as frozen foods. Retailers are incurring comparatively lower costs for food cans in the shelf space required in their stores. The use of refrigerated goods consumes significant amounts of electricity, which is no longer economical for many retailers in view of the fluctuating energy prices on the market. Apart from this, cans are also winning over more and more food manufacturers. Studies show time and again that canned fruits and vegetables retain their high vitamin content and are more nutrient dense because they are canned straight from the field. Foods such as tomatoes are sterilized and packed in airtight containers, so that they enjoy a particularly long shelf life in tinplate packaging. This is a convincing argument not only for food manufacturers but also for retailers, which will not have to constantly rearrange their shelves thanks to the long minimum shelf life.
“Weissblech-kommt-weiter” platform informs consumers
thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is also working in other areas to expand its multichannel strategy. For almost two years now, the company has been successfully operating weissblech-kommt-weiter.de, a platform that shows how “tinplate goes further” and that is aimed directly at end consumers to find out everything about food cans. “Although interest in production and recycling of packaging has risen sharply among end users, many of them are still unaware of the key differences between the various materials. This is exactly where we come in. We are offering information without pointing fingers and use facts, figures, and exciting texts to show consumers how sustainable food cans actually are. We will not leave consumers alone with their unanswered questions,” said Carmen Tschage.
On the weissblech-kommt-weiter website, consumers will find blogs, reports, and interviews with food experts such as chefs and ecotrophologists. In addition, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, jointly with opinion institute YouGov, regularly surveys consumers about their topics of interest and their knowledge of food and packaging. The tinplate manufacturer is also increasingly reaching younger consumers with its “weissblech_kommt_weiter” Instagram channel. “We offer exclusive and high-quality content that users can hardly find on any other platform. We feel that many consumers have a need for information about packaging. Therefore, we want to expand our channels in the future to actively highlight the topics of recycling and sustainability. This benefits not only consumers, but also tinplate processors, food manufacturers, and retailers alike,” Carmen Tschage emphasized.