The sun care and fake tan category experienced the highest growth in the UK's 2015 aerosol filling figures, according to the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA).
This category saw a 68% year-on-year growth, albeit from a relatively small base. In 2015, the number of sun care and tanning cans filled rose to 4.2 million from 2.5 million in 2014.
Hairspray was also a strong category in 2015, with 112.8 million cans filled, up 15% year-on-year. BAMA said much of this growth was down to the increasing popularity of dry shampoo.
But the deodorant, anti-perspirant and body spray sector continued to take the lion’s share of the overall filling figures with 790 million cans filled in 2015, up 5% year-on-year. Despite showing strong growth last year, the growth was not as strong as the previous year, when it was up 7%.
The ‘other personal care’ category, which BAMA uses to include insect repellents, shower gels, hand lotions, talcs, depilatories and feminine care products, grew by more than half up 54% year-on-year. BAMA cited the continuing trend for skin creams and lotions in aerosol formats as a contributing factor.
But growth was not on the cards for all sectors in 2015. The cologne and perfume sector declined for another year, this time by 10% with 8.1 million cans filled. Interestingly shaving products also fell by 11%, although still contributed to a large base with 170.1 million cans filled. The reason behind this decline could be put down to the ongoing trend for beards and facial hair.
Overall, taking all product markets into account including household products, automotive, vet/pet, industrial and miscellaneous (which includes novelty and seasonal products, such as fake snow), the UK aerosol sector grew for the fifth year running with a 2% increase in 2015 and 1539.8 million aerosol cans filled by UK producers, compared with 1509.7 million in 2014.
Patrick Heskins, Chief Executive of BAMA, said: "The aerosol sector makes an important contribution to British manufacturing and export successes. I think people are widely acknowledging just how environmentally sustainable this category is. This is not only because aerosols are recyclable, as most are made of high-grade metal, but because they are sustainable in other ways too. They avoid product damage and wastage as the method of dispensing means the product is delivered in the right place and in the right quantity, with no mess, no product degradation due to the can being sealed and therefore no waste."