The new innovation was unveiled at The Beverage Forum, ahead of a retail launch with Gelson’s Markets.
Consumers open the can by lifting and sliding the tab; and then close it by sliding it back into place. This can be done up to 14 times without an impact on the seal.
L.A. Libations is not the first to explore a resealable can: but says its can has two key points of difference: the format is completely recyclable, and easy to scale on existing manufacturing models.
Manufacturing compatibility
Beverage cans have been rising in popularity across the industry: with particular success in growing categories such as canned cocktails. But they’re also a staple of a number of categories: from energy drinks to beer.
So why haven’t resealable cans been a mass market feature to date?
Annika Stepper, co-founder, L.A. Libations Water, explained that the problem has been the manufacturing complexity of designs, making it difficult to scale up production within the broader can ecosystem.
Re:Lid, however, has addressed this through Re:Lid USA: the technology developer and commercialization platform behind the innovation. This has created a simple 3-component resealable design using standard beverage-grade aluminium throughout, and built on existing can shells (202 or 206 diameter).
“The technology is the beverage industry’s first all-aluminium resealable led, designed for aluminium cans and is compatible with standard aluminium can formats, making it highly scalable across beverage categories,” she explained.
It can be used with high-speed production systems, which supports integration at scale.
Re:Lid can be used with cold-fill, low-carbonated beverages: reflecting the engineering required to manage pressure and maintain the seal.
Road to mass adoption
Re:Lid currently commands a premium price tag, but Stepper believes the enhanced experience justifies the cost and will reap rewards for brands.
And, because of its compatibility with existing infrastructure, it’s a model that’s easy to scale up.
“As US production scales, pricing will change to a level closer to standard SOT ends,” she said.
