Global market leader in packaging, Crown Holdings, has released its 2024 Sustainability Report, "Built to Last", doubling down on the company's commitment to the aluminium beverage can as a pillar of the circular economy. The report details significant advancement on its ambitious Twentyby30 targets, with special emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting higher recycling rates for aluminium packaging.
"Worldwide, our team's unwavering pledge to create a more sustainable future allows us to continue making significant strides in our initiatives focusing on innovation, responsibility, and community engagement," said Timothy Donahue, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Holdings. "Sustainability is about creating a resilient organization and environment that can thrive in the face of future challenges, and our stakeholders rely on our transparency regarding our efforts toward that vision."
Secondary aluminium on the agenda
The report, which outlines 20 measurable objectives to be met by 2030, is an unbiased look at the company's global sustainability performance. In aluminium, two fronts are of particular importance: cutting emissions and recycling.
Crown's own attempts to minimise its carbon impact are transforming its aluminium operations. Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent less energy to produce compared to primary metal, and every can recycled has an impact on reducing the overall environmental impact of the packaging supply chain. This is what is driving the rise of aluminium cans for drinks in the circular economy, with materials being reused in perpetual cycles.
Also read: Crown Holdings recognised by Forbes as a net zero leader in 2025
Highlighting this dedication, the report cites Crown's industry-level advocacy leadership. Sponsorship of the Global Aluminium Can Sustainability Summit (2024) and Climate Week NYC are examples of a coordinated effort to raise the global recycling rate for aluminium cans, a critical component in maximising the material's environmental value.
“Sustainability is about creating a resilient organisation and environment that can thrive in the face of future challenges, and our stakeholders rely on our transparency regarding our efforts toward that vision,” said Timothy Donahue, Chairman, President and CEO of Crown Holdings.
Encourage sustainable practices
Besides advocacy, Crown is also upgrading its operational efficiency. Dr John M. Rost, Crown's Senior Vice President of Technology, Global Sustainability, and Regulatory Affairs, noted that integrating sustainable practices allows the company to "reduce costs, enhance operational output, and drive ingenuity."
This is part of a wider industry trend whereby can makers are investing in state-of-the-art, sustainable production. For example, Ball Corporation has recently opened a new state-of-the-art aluminium can plant in the UK, with a main focus on energy efficiency and recyclable material content.
Through emphasis on international standards like the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the UN Global Compact, Crown's "Built to Last" report puts the firm at the vanguard of sustainability leadership for the global beverage industry, with the infinitely recyclable aluminium can being the centrepiece.
To know more about the sustainability practices followed in the global packaging industry, read our report: ALuminium in Packaging: Consumer Trends and Market Dynamics.
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