According to research commissioned by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) on the recycling of three beverage container materials: aluminum, glass and plastic (polyethylene terephthalate, PET), reveals that aluminum cans best support the circular economy from an environmental point of view. The findings also show that aluminum cans are the best option as more glass and plastic bottles end up in landfills because they are not collected.
This is the first comprehensive public study to analyze the single-use beverage container recycling value chain in five key markets. Currently, more than 70% of the material used in aluminum cans is recycled into new products, almost twice as much as glass (34%) and plastic (40%).
On behalf of IAI, Eunomia Research and Consulting has studied these data in five countries: Brazil, China, Europe, Japan and the USA. Specifically, it has examined the end-of-life processing losses of aluminum cans, glass bottles and plastic (PET) bottles. The study has also analyzed collection, sorting, reprocessing and thermal processing, closed-loop recycling and open-loop recycling.
TRIVIUM INVESTS $40 MILLION IN ITS U.S. PLANTS. AND BRAZIL TO EXPAND PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM AEROSOL CANS AND BOTTLES
TOAST WITH ALUMINUM BALL CANS TO CELEBRATE THE BIG SUPER BOWL GAME
Aluminum beverage cans remain the most sustainable beverage package in the US.
85% OF SPANIARDS WANT TO RETURN CANS AND OTHER PACKAGING TO STORES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
U.S. ALUMINUM CAN PRODUCERS TO PUSH FOR DEPOSIT LEGISLATION
BALL ARENA PROMOTES THE USE OF ALUMINUM BEVERAGE CONTAINERS
A packaging return system in Spain would eliminate more than 6,000 million cans and bottles that end up in nature each year.
Making a can from recycled aluminum saves more than 90% of the energy needed to make a new can.
Environmental impact analysis of 5 types of packaging
Knowledge about the recyclability of aluminum would increase the purchase preference of drinking water packaged in cans.
