"There are two ways to decarbonise the aluminium sector. First is to reduce emissions on the upstream production end of the business. And second is to significantly ramp up recycling of the metal." Matt Meenan, Vice President, External Affairs at The Aluminum Association

An interview with Matt Meenan, The Vice President, External Affairs at The Aluminum Association.

Matt Meenan became a part of the Aluminum Association in December 2012, steadily taking on more significant roles in managing the association's external communications. As the Vice President of External Affairs, he now heads the department and crafts strategies to promote aluminium, address external challenges, and safeguard the association's brand and industry.

AL Circle: What key areas of research should be prioritised to achieve greater environmental responsibility and resource efficiency?

Matt: There are basically two ways to decarbonise the aluminium sector. First is to reduce emissions on the upstream production end of the business. And second is to significantly ramp up recycling of the metal. On the first item, there’s a ton happening in North America and elsewhere to drive improvement. We’ve seen major research and development in technologies like inert anode smelting which would remove all direct carbon emissions from the primary aluminium production process. We expect to see some of these technologies rise to commercial scale by the end of the decade. Perhaps even more importantly for the primary production side of the business is the need to significantly decarbonise the electric grid. This is a project with implications far beyond the aluminium industry. But, we’re seeing innovation there too. One of our member companies Hydro earlier this year produced the world’s first batch of aluminium using carbon-free green hydrogen as an energy source.

The second thing we need to do is drive up recycling and recovery, something we can accomplish with technology fixes and by working to change consumer behaviour through policy and education. Making recycled aluminium produces around 95% fewer carbon emissions than making new aluminium so the implications are pretty dramatic. Aluminium is already recycled at high rates in many markets but there is more we can do here. Many companies are researching and investing in new sorting and other technologies to increase aluminium recovery and, ultimately, recycling.

AL Circle: How can the aluminium industry further enhance its efforts to increase recycling rates and promote the sustainability of aluminium packaging?  

Matt: There’s a lot we can do in this space and a lot we are doing. We are extremely proud of the aluminium can’s position as the most sustainable beverage packaging type. We have the highest recycling rate among our competitors, far higher levels of average recycled content and a product that can be recycled infinitely directly back into itself. While less than half of the glass and PET that is recycled goes back into making new bottles, fully 92% of recycled aluminium cans are made into new cans – true closed-loop recycling. But there’s obviously much more we can do to bring back more of this material. We are working with our members and in coalition with other organisations to promote recycling across the board – through consumer education, new technologies and common-sense policy reforms.

AL Circle: What are the specific challenges and reasons behind the falling recycling rates of aluminium beverage cans below 50%?

Matt: We’ve seen stagnation and decline in recycling rates across material types in recent years. One driver of this shift was scrap import policy changes in China over the last decade that challenged the existing business model of some recycling systems and programs. Disruptions during the COVID pandemic also created challenges. That’s one of the reasons why we think it's time for a fundamental rethink of recycling systems and programs in the United States. If we are serious about building resilient supply chains and meeting our climate targets, business as usual on recycling isn’t going to cut it.

AL Circle: What strategies can be implemented to address this issue and prevent valuable aluminium from ending up in landfills?

Matt: While aluminium in buildings, cars and similar industrial products are recycled at rates exceeding 90%, we have a lot of work to do in the beverage packaging segment where U.S. recycling rates are below 50%. That means we throw away 12 twelve-packs worth of beverage cans for every man, woman and child in the United States – that’s north of 40 billion cans or $800 million worth of aluminium every year. So, we are doing a few things in an effort to reverse this trend.

First, we want to make sure that some of the transformative federal infrastructure investments we have made in the United States in recent years go to improve recycling systems. And second, we are going all in on promoting recycling refund (also called container deposit) systems. The ten states plus Guam that already have these programs in place boast aluminium can recycling rates two, three, even four times as high as states without such systems. So, it’s a proven method of getting more material back and we want to see these programs expand. We are working with several other groups to advocate for recycling refunds at the state and federal level. You can learn more at www.RecyclingRefundsWork.org. 

AL Circle: What are the advantages and challenges associated with the increased use of aluminium in electric vehicles?

Matt: Aluminium has been growing as a material of choice in the automotive industry for more than 50 years. Whatever the vehicle platform – be it an internal combustion engine, hybrid or battery electric – aluminium builds a better vehicle. High-performing, efficient and safe.

A 2023 survey of automakers and Tier 1 suppliers, conducted by Ducker Carlisle, found that demand for more sustainable transportation will help drive an increase in market share for aluminium content by nearly 100 net pounds per light vehicle (PPV) from 2020 to 2030. As the industry readies for a wave of electrified powertrains and battery electric vehicle platforms, aluminium is the preferred choice of many automakers thanks to its ability to reduce vehicle weight—extending vehicle range and countering heavy components like EV batteries. Expected key growth areas include body-in-white, battery housings, e-motors and drives, doors and rockers to meet long range carbon emissions goals. By 2030, battery electric light-trucks, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, are expected to average over 644 pounds of aluminium content.

The expansion and modernisation of the electric grid that comes with this transition – including the deployment of new vehicle charging stations – all will also support the increased use of aluminium in the United States and beyond.