Metal tins are popular for confectionery packaging. They are tight and thus provide protection against light and prevent the product from losing any flavour. From a brand's perspective, tins convey resistance; from the consumer's perspective they present reliability and quality. A tin emphasises immortal life as it can be permanently recycled and constantly brought back to life in new forms and functions.

Metal tins are mainly made of recycled tin, one of the few permanent materials that can always be fully recycled and therefore preserves the environment. At 93.3%, Germany has the highest recycling rate for tin packaging from private households.

In addition to its seemingly traditional materiality, the metal tin manages to seduce consumers in a sensory manner: the unique sound it makes when being opened and closed, or the individual appearance thanks to direct printing processes. To do this, the metal sheets are first pre-painted for food safety purposes, primed white according to the customer's wishes and printed with several colours. The process concludes with a protective matte or gloss paint. A velvety soft paint can be applied too. Brand manufacturers engrave their trademark or a distinctive pattern as decoration, which consumers value both in terms of touch and sight. For small requirements, the tin can be pad-printed or digitally-printed. The latter process makes it possible to personalise the tin, even just one single piece.

Companies such as Powermints GmbH from Germany combine a satin-lacquered metal tin with a separable and colour-coordinated plastic insert. It is a practical and hygienic dispenser for Compass mints. Through combining metal and plastic, additional functions are feasible. Tools for metal parts are costly and the confectionery market is characterised by fierce competition. For this reason, many sweet manufacturers order their metal tins directly from China, where prices are lower, but delivery times are longer and language barriers have to be overcome. European brands appreciate the high, consistent quality and delivery capabilities of metal tins from Europe.