Wyda Swaps Lid Labels for Pouches in Aluminum Container Redesign

Wyda Packaging USA replaced the paper label on its private-label aluminum food containers with a polyethylene pouch that holds and protects the lids, and the redesign left the product price unchanged for retail customers.

Under the previous design, folded lids sat inserted between the stacked pans, with a label affixed to the top pan in each bundle. The lids lacked protection from contamination and the pack looked poor on shelf, according to Celeste Costa, head of sales and marketing at Wyda Packaging USA. "It wasn't set up in a way that the lids were protected from contamination, and the final presentation of the product wasn't very nice," Costa said in an Oct. 19 interview at Pack Expo.

What does the redesign change for buyers and production?

Costa and other Wyda employees developed the new format by taking inspiration from packs of baseball cards, which use a similar pouch. The company frames the move as a one-to-one component swap at a moment when many packaging suppliers are lightweighting and removing plastic.

"The component count still is the same, but it's a different material and a different application," Costa said.

The change also removed a production bottleneck. Inserting lids between trays was a process that reduced efficiency, said Daniel Mendes, country manager at Wyda Packaging USA. The efficiency gains offset the small cost of adding the pouch, so the overall product price stayed the same for customers.

Wyda developed the pouch specifically for the U.S. market and released it this spring. The company supplies metal containers for food service customers, and its private-label products sell at grocery, convenience, dollar and club stores, including Walmart and Sam's Club.

Why is a Brazilian tray maker building in the U.S.?

The family-owned company was founded in Brazil and still bases its operations there. It established its U.S. regional headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2024, its first American presence.

Historically, these aluminum trays largely came into the U.S. from China and Southeast Asian countries, Costa said. Tariffs during the first Trump administration made domestic production more attractive, and the pressure has only grown. Last year the United States International Trade Commission determined that imports of disposable aluminum containers, pans, trays and lids from China, sold at less than fair value, harm U.S. industry, warranting antidumping and countervailing duties.

"The supply chain is moving to this direction to supply and manufacture domestically this kind of product," Mendes said.

Where does Wyda expand next?

Metal tray consumption in the U.S. remains heavy, and Costa said Wyda does not anticipate demand slowing. The company recently disclosed plans to double production capacity in Charlotte over the next two years.

Wyda is also weighing further U.S. expansion, with Texas and the West Coast looking particularly attractive, plus other North American countries, according to Costa. Site evaluation covers labor pool, knowledge base, regional product demand and logistics. Freight matters acutely here: the products are light, and diesel and freight costs have skyrocketed, which pushes Wyda toward production close to demand.