This fall, the International Aluminum Institute (IAI) released a new report, “Can-to-Can Recycling: Performance, Potential and Pathways,” detailing the circular potential of aluminum beverage cans. The report lays out that though 71% of aluminum cans are recycled, just 33% become new cans. This gap shows there is runway for an increase in can-to-can recycling, and in order to fill this gap it is important that our industry’s leaders reflect on the successes we’ve had while also remaining cognizant of the opportunities before us for continued growth.
To that end, it is crucial that our focus remains on both the collection and proper recycling of aluminum beverage cans in order for them to remain central to the circular economy. Several policy frameworks, such as Deposit Return Systems (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes (EPR), prove to be effective enablers of collection within this circular infrastructure.
In Europe, for example, DRS and EPR have been key to heightening the rate at which aluminum beverage cans are collected and recycled. Encouragingly, the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has been revised to harmonize these systems across Member States with the introduction of advancements such as stronger EPR obligations and mandatory beverage can and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle deposits. These amendments are creating long-term certainty for industry investment in beverage can circularity.
In comparison, the United States’ recycling system is fragmented with policy momentum often playing out in individual states rather than at the federal level. States like Maine and Oregon have passed EPR legislation for packaging while others such as California and New York are reviewing or modernizing their bottle bills. Some proposals are combining elements of EPR and recycling refund systems which could be quite powerful if adopted.
The key for more widespread adoption in the U.S. will be building broad coalitions across industries and aligning the policy narrative with economic and environmental benefits.
To further incentivize collection, our global industry needs to prioritize increasing consumer education around recycling aluminum beverage cans, including the waste of money, material, and energy that occurs if they end up in landfills instead. As an example, in the United States over 60 billion aluminum cans ended up in landfills in 2023, equivalent to $1.2 billion, 1 million tons of aluminum, and the annual energy consumption of more than 1 million homes. With increased consumer education, better waste policies, and sorting infrastructure, these costs could be avoided.
When it comes to recycling, we need to optimize regional hubs to ensure high-quality aluminum beverage can scrap remains within regional closed-loop systems. We see this in places like Southeast Asia, where Vietnam could play a key role in the regional recycling ecosystem, yet export duties on aluminum scrap materials including those from beverage cans from Vietnam to Thailand hinder the efficient flow of recyclable materials. Removing such trade barriers would significantly enhance regional beverage can circularity and reduce leakage.
Similarly, in the EU-US trade, we observe a different but equally pressing challenge. Due to pricing differentials, high-quality scrap is increasingly diverted from the EU to the U.S., where recyclers offer more competitive rates. This not only disrupts local circularity efforts in Europe but also undermines the environmental and economic benefits of keeping materials within regional loops.
Addressing these structural and policy-related inefficiencies—whether through trade facilitation, harmonized standards, or investment in local processing capacity—should be the industry's top priority to build a truly global and resilient circular economy.
Sandrine Duquerroy Delesalle is the Vice President of Global Sustainability & External Affairs at Crown Holdings, a global leader in aluminum packaging long dedicated to the advancement of sustainable business practices. As one of America’s Most Responsible Companies, Crown’s Twentyby30 program, aimed at reducing climate impacts and improving resource efficiency, is a key driver of its efforts in shaping the future of sustainability.