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The Aluminum Association and Can Manufacturers Institute have released a December 2024 Report titled:
The Aluminum Can Advantage: Sustainability Key Performance Indicators (“Report”).
The two organizations indicate that they collectively represent the vast majority of aluminum beverage can production and used beverage container recycling in the United States.
Aluminum beverage can recycling is described by the organizations as vital to the United States recycling system and overall community. They state that using recycled aluminum to make a beverage can saves approximately 80% of the energy needed to produce a beverage can with new, or primary, aluminum.
Key performance indicators addressed in the Report include:
- Consumer Recycling Rate.
- Industry Recycling Rate.
- Closed-Loop Circularity Rate.
- Recycled Content.
- Value of Material.
A sampling of data found in the Report includes:
- 43% of aluminum cans shipped in the United States in 2023 were ultimately recycled (this is below an average rate of around 52% since tracking began 1990).
- Aluminum can recycling still exceeds equivalent recycling rate for glass (39.6%) and plastic (PET bottles – 20%).
- Closed-loop circularity rate for aluminum cans is stated to be 96.7%.
- Average recycled content of an aluminum can made in the United States was 71% (down from 73% reported in 2019).
A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.
