Aluminium cans recycling rates in the US outperform plastic and glass bottles, reports Aluminium Association

A report from the Aluminium Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) showed early last week that aluminium cans outperformed other competitive packaging types and materials based on several sustainability metrics.

The report - “The Aluminium Can Advantage: Key Sustainability Performance Indicators 2019” revealed that aluminium cans were recycled nearly double the rate of glass or plastic bottles. While the consumer recycling rates of plastic bottle came in at 29.2 per cent and glass bottle at 26.4 per cent, the recycling rates of aluminium cans stood at 49.8 per cent. The average recycled content for an aluminium can produced also rose from 70 per cent to 73 per cent in the United States, compared to 23 percent for glass and 3 percent for plastic. As a result, the value of scrap aluminium cans became significantly more with a value per tonne of $1,317 per tonne compared to $299 per tonne for plastic and a negative value of $20 per tonne for glass.

Robert Budway, President & CEO of CMI, said: “Can manufacturers take great pride in providing the most sustainable package in the world. When consumers have finished enjoying their favorite beverages in aluminum cans, they should go the extra mile to recycle aluminum 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.”

Budway added, “For every 5 percent increase in consumer recycling [of aluminium], approximately $100 million in aluminium value is saved from landfills. It is no exaggeration to say that the modern recycling system could not work economically without the contributions of aluminium.”   

Lauren Wilk, Vice President for Policy & International Trade at the Aluminium Association, stated: “The aluminium can continues to out-perform the competition on virtually every measure of environmental performance. 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 economic logic is simple,” concluded Wilk, “the more aluminium we can return back to the recycling stream, the healthier the overall system.”

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