Social impact innovation: Ball supports Brazilian client with the first canned packaging with Braille-embossed lid in the national market

At Ball Corporation, our commitments to sustainability and diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our long-term strategy. As industry leaders, we understand that bringing inclusive innovation and sustainability to the market is our responsibility, and we work with our customers in collaborative ways to advance these priorities.

Recently, we supported Minalba Brasil – a beverage company belonging to the Edson Queiroz Group (GEQ) – with the production of the first canned packaging on the Brazilian market to include a Braille-embossed lid. The new feature was made possible by connecting local and regional teams at Ball and applying our extensive research and appetite for innovation to the manufacturing process of cans in South America. The Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind played a critical role in evaluating the spelling and spacing of Braille printed on the lids.

Understanding that aluminum cans have a lot of market potential in the region and the opportunity to bring different categories of drinks to moments of consumption that have been unexplored to date, the #LataPraTodosVerem (“cans for everyone to see”) initiative aims to promote accessibility in the beverage market. Today, there are more than 6.5 million people with visual impairments in Brazil, according to data from the 2010 IBGE Census, and this reflects a sizeable segment of the consumer market that can benefit from this new application.

For this production, we mobilized teams from different areas in our Brazilian, regional and global operations, such as engineering, manufacturing, innovation, quality, marketing and new business, to find a viable application of the Braille system on the aluminum lid of cans. By developing a solution that does not impact the safety or quality of the product we are bringing social impact and innovation to the national market and, thus, taking one step further to make the aluminum can an even more inclusive packaging. Now, visually impaired consumers will be able to confirm they are purchasing a canned mineral water vs still or sparkling water. This innovation makes the purchasing, consumption and choice experience accessible to blind and visually impaired people.

The cans with Braille-embossed lid will be part of the entire line of Minalba cans and will soon be offered on the market nationally. The first production was destined for the VIP lounges at the Tomorrowland Brazil 2023 event, that occurred between October 12 and 14.