The Aluminium Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) have reported a decline in the recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in the US.
Based on a comprehensive survey, it was found that only 43% of aluminium cans shipped in 2023 were recycled, marking a decrease from the 30-year average of approximately 52%.
Despite this downturn, aluminium cans still outperform glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles in recycling rates.
The industry recycling rate, which accounts for all aluminium used beverage containers recycled by the US industry, stands at 57%, close to the three-decade average of around 60%.
The report also highlights that aluminium cans maintain a high closed-loop circularity rate of 96.7%, indicating that most recycled aluminium is used to produce new cans. This rate is higher than that of PET bottles at 34% and glass bottles, which vary between 30%-60%.
In terms of recycled content, an aluminium can made in the US has an average of 71% recycled material, a slight decrease from 73% in 2019 but still well above the rates for glass and plastic bottles.
Furthermore, the value of recycled aluminium remains the highest among beverage packages, with a two-year rolling average value of $1,338 per ton, compared to $215 per ton for PET and -$23 per ton for glass.
The Aluminium Association and CMI are collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance recycling rates. They have released a progress report on aluminium beverage can recycling rate targets, advocating for the expansion of recycling refund programmes, which have proven effective in states that have implemented them.
The top recycling states, with an average rate of 68%, all have refund policies, in stark contrast to the 22% average in states without such programmes.
At the federal level, the Aluminium Association and CMI support the passage of the Recycling Infrastructure Accessibility Act and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act.
These bipartisan bills aim to improve recycling systems and tracking of recycled materials, which are crucial for supply chain security and a sustainable economy.
Over the past decade, Aluminium Association members have announced over $10bn in domestic manufacturing operations.
Aluminium Association president and CEO Charles Johnson said: “Our current approach to recycling in America is simply not working at the level we need.
“While we recycled more than 46 billion cans in 2023, we threw away more than 61 billion cans - that’s an average of around 15 12-packs of cans for each person in the country. That’s nearly $1.2 billion worth of aluminium that ends up in a landfill every year.
"This is bad for the economy, the environment and national security. It also puts the United States toward the bottom of aluminium can recycling compared to peer countries.”
