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Tube record expected

The cosmetics industry is the biggest user of tubes, taking 42 percent of the total, followed by dental care with 22 percent, Pharmaceuticals with 20 percent, the food industry with 9 percent and the household products market with 7-percent. 43 percent of all tubes are made from aluminium, followed by plastics (31 percent) and laminate/polyfoil tubes (26 percent).

The success of the tube, which since its invention in 1841 has enjoyed almost breathtaking sales growth, is based on some very clear consumer benefits. It is user-friendly, lightweight, unbreakable, hygienic, handy, easy to open, and the product, which is protected from external factors, can be dispensed in exactly the required amount.

In recent years the external appearance of the tube has been regularly enhanced by elaborately designed caps and innovative decorative techniques, as well as with clever new shapes. For example, a combination of 8 colour offset and screen printing can be applied together with foil stamping, in one pass, to cylindrical or oval tubes.

Luxury caps and closures for cosmetics products add visual value to the package and put it in the same league as high quality perfume flacons. Soft touch surfaces can make tubes easier to hold, and give them a soft, velvety feel in the hand during use.

The new EU aircraft hand baggage regulations introduced on November 6th 2006 should help boost sales of tubes. According to the new regulations passengers are limited to 100 ml per container of liquids, gels and creams.

Tubes are a ready-made solution. The volume growth enjoyed by the European tube industry is however somewhat overshadowed by double-figure increases in the cost of raw materials, energy and transport, which have put margins under considerable pressure.

According to one leading European tube manufacturer the innovative power seen from companies in the tube business can only continue if the cost increases can be passed on.