Roadmap to 100% Aluminium Beverage Can Recycling

Roadmap to 100% Aluminium Beverage Can Recycling

Achieving a 100% recycling rate for beverage cans by 2030 is a realistic target, according to Oliver Graham, chairman of the Beverage Can Commission at Metal Packaging Europe, at a recent webinar organised by European Aluminium and Metal Packaging Europe to unveil a joint roadmap for achieving 100% recycling of aluminium beverage cans by 2030.

According to Graham, this is a real circularity based, not least because this roadmap is based on maximising the circular potential of aluminium beverage cans. This roadmap is made between producers of aluminium can foil, manufacturers of aluminium beverage cans and recyclers of used aluminium beverage cans.

As Andy Doran, Chairman of the European Aluminium Packaging Group, says, in order to achieve this ambitious plan, it is important to have the support of the entire value chain. “We therefore call on our partners, including brand owners, retailers, consumers, packaging recovery organisations, recyclers and others, to further improve can collection as part of a joint mission to fully close the loop and move from the current 76.1% recycling rate to a true 100% recycling rate by 2030.”

The European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan 2.0 for a cleaner and more competitive Europe, published in March 2020, states that to meet its objectives, adequate waste collection systems and advanced sorting technology and recycling infrastructure must be in place.

“Ineffective communication and awareness raising, inadequate disposal and sorting behaviour as well as informal recycling also need to be addressed equally. Metal packaging manufacturers can contribute to addressing these shortcomings as part of the shared responsibility for waste management involving all actors. However, the transition to achieving the full recycling potential of aluminium cans will be systemic and transformational and will require the cooperation of all stakeholders at EU, national, regional and local levels.

The overall objectives of Metal Packaging Europe and European Aluminium, as mentioned in the Action Plan, are “to maximise collection, improve sorting and recycling of aluminium beverage cans through innovation, digitalisation and optimal governance of packaging recovery systems, in order to remove the remaining barriers to achieving higher recycling rates. To succeed and deliver ambitious recycling rates, work on different initiatives must start in parallel. The industry must do its part, but all other key stakeholders in the beverage packaging value chain and the legislative environment must also create the right incentives to enable the metal packaging industry to achieve its full contribution to the circular economy”.