Ambev will launch first mineral water in Brazil's can until the end of 2019

Ambev SA will launch the first canned mineral water from Brazil by the end of the year, following a global trend among beverage manufacturers, which have been replacing aluminum plastic to meet the demands of increasingly conscious consumers in relation to the environment. The initiative is part of a broader effort of the Anheuser Busch InBev matrix to meet ambitious sustainability goals in its operations globally and arises at a time when other multinationals such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé also launch waters in Tin the world. In Brazil, Ambev will begin producing the canned version of its brand of AMA mineral water in a brewery in Rio de Janeiro, but the plan is to distribute the product to the entire country, said the company's head of sustainability, Richard Lee, in an interview with Reuters. He refused to enter into details about the necessary investments, but warned that the filling of the canned water will not require new machinery. The executive added that the selling price will probably be lower, even though the cost of production in the aluminum can is higher than in the plastic. "It's more expensive to work with the can than with plastic, but what matters is the impact. Not only are aluminum cans widely recycled here but they are also a source of income for thousands of families, "said Lee, noting that Brazil is the leader in recycling aluminum cans in the world. More than 97% of all aluminum cans for beverage are recycled in the country, according to data from the Brazilian association of Aluminum Cans Manufacturers (Abralatas) and the Brazilian Association of Aluminum (Abal). On the other hand, plastic has a significantly lower recycling rate than that of aluminum and, consequently, is among the most pollutant materials in the oceans. "We are optimistic about sales and we hope that the AMA can in 2020 sale volume higher than the sum of 2017 and 2018 with the traditional plastic bottle," said Lee, adding that the company sold more than 12 million units in this two-year period. Only in the first half of 2019, 3.4 million units of the AMA were sold, showed the most recent balance of Ambev. Launched in 2017, the AMA is a watermark whose profit is completely destined for projects of access to drinking water in communities of the Brazilian semiarid. The company expects to end 2019 with 50 projects financed and more than 43000 people benefited, according to the executive. Despite the enthusiasm with the new packaging, Lee said that Ambev does not plan to completely eliminate the plastic bottles from its portfolio, at least for now. But the growing adoption of aluminum cans is also a trend among its brands of beer, as the company seeks to offer more options to consumers.