Aluminum can continues to lead as the most sustainable beverage package in the U.S.

According to a newly released report by the Aluminum Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) aluminium cans continue to lead as the most sustainable beverage package in the U.S..

The new report “The Aluminum Can Advantage: Key Sustainability Performance Indicators 2019” shows that aluminium cans are recycled at nearly double the rate of glass or plastic bottles.  Average recycled content for an aluminium can produced in the United States rose from 70 to 73 per cent, against 23 per cent for glass and 3 per cent for plastic. The report shows the aluminium can scrap is more valuable than glass or plastic in the recycling bin. Aluminum effectively subsidizes the recycling of less valuable material in the recycling stream due to this.

The key points of the report is summarised in the chart below:

“Can manufacturers take great pride in providing the most sustainable package in the world,” said Robert Budway, President & CEO of CMI. “When consumers have finished enjoying their favourite beverages in aluminium cans, they should go the extra mile to recycle aluminium cans. Cans are the backbone of our country’s recycling system, and every can properly recycled makes a significant, positive impact in saving resources for future generations.”

“The aluminium can continues to out-perform the competition on virtually every measure of environmental performance,” said Lauren Wilk, Vice President for Policy & International Trade at the Aluminum Association. “During a time when more and more consumers are demanding sustainable products, aluminium’s inherent value and infinite recyclability provides a unique competitive advantage for the can.”

The report findings are based on a number of sustainability “key performance indicators” for the aluminium beverage can. The major indicators are industry recycling rate, consumer recycling rate, recycled content and value of material.  These performance indicators provide an all-inclusive data on the sustainability performance of the can, as a benchmark for consumers, customers, non-governmental organizations, policymakers and other stakeholders. The major findings in the report are:

• The industry recycling rate measured based on used beverage container (UBC) imports and exports, remained steady in 2017 and 2018 at 63.3 and 63.6 per cent, respectively. This exceeds the 20-year average industry recycling rate of 59.1 per cent.
• The consumer recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans increased to 49.8 per cent in 2018 from 45.1 per cent in 2017. The 20-year average for the aluminium can recycling rate is 50.1 per cent.
• The average recycled content of an aluminium can rose from 70 to 73 per cent according to the last update in 2014.
• The aluminium can scrap remains the most valuable package material with a price of US$1,317/t against US$299/t for plastic and US$20/ton for glass.

“For every 5 per cent increase in consumer recycling [of aluminium], approximately US$100 million in aluminium value is saved from landfills,” Budway added.

“The economic logic is simple – the more aluminum we can return back to the recycling stream, the healthier the overall system,” Wilk concluded.