Global Summit Highlights the Aluminium Beverage Can Industry’s Pathway to Continued Leadership on Sustainability
Published October 8, 2024
Major aluminium organisations from around the world — the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), the Brazilian Association of Aluminum Can Manufacturers (Abralatas), Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), International Aluminium Institute (IAI), and Metal Packaging Europe (MPE) — convened more than 150 leaders as part of the Global Aluminium Can Sustainability Summit.
Leaders from across the aluminium beverage can value chain met during this two-day Summit, which took place 1-2 October during London Metal Exchange (LME) Week, to discuss how the industry can enhance its leadership on key sustainability issues such as decarbonisation pathways and recycled content measurement. The Summit demonstrated how the aluminium beverage can value chain is actively working to reduce planet-warming emissions while simultaneously strengthening the can’s sustainability credentials.
“Together we are making substantial achievements, leading ambitious recycling efforts and pioneering innovative decarbonisation programs,” said IAI’s Director of Scenarios and Forecasts Marlen Bertram. “Our partnership with global leaders from around the world is the necessary action required to create a more sustainable future for our planet.”
The beverage can’s sustainability advantages provide environmentally conscious consumers with a package made of a material that recycles forever, more than pays for its own cost of recycling, and that delivers significant carbon emissions reductions upon recycling.
“Recycling aluminium dramatically speeds up global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” said CMI President Robert Budway. “Globally, aluminium recycling saves 95 percent of the energy needed for primary aluminium production.”
In addition to focused discussions around decarbonisation, the Summit reaffirmed the need for increased global standardisation on how the industry calculates recycled content in aluminium beverage cans and reports sustainability data.
“As the standards and certification organisation for the full aluminium value chain, ASI recognises the importance of product-related claims as one driver of sustainability,” said Dr. Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. “CMI’s method for recycled content in aluminium cans contributes to an important conversation about the balance between market expectations and sectoral change.”
“We are proud of the fact that aluminium beverage cans are the most recycled packaging in the world,” said Cátilo Cândido, president of Abralatas. “Consumers look to our industry for sustainability solutions because metal recycles forever, and we recycle cans efficiently and at scale. We are very pleased to bring Brazil as an example for the whole world, achieving recycling rates in average above 98 percent for more than 15 years.”
Summit speakers included executives and thought leaders from inside and outside the aluminium beverage can industry, including CEOs from leading aluminium beverage can sheet suppliers and can manufacturers. This includes five generous events sponsors: Ardagh Metal Packaging, Ball Corporation, CANPACK, Crown Holdings, and Envases.
“Our collaboration with leaders across the metal packaging industry is key to ensure that aluminium beverage cans remain a circularity champion,” said Krassimira Kazashka, CEO of Metal Packaging Europe. “We are grateful for the innovative spirit and ideas put forward at the Summit and look forward to working together toward decarbonisation and recycling progress in the future.”
For more information, visit cancentral.com/GlobalAluminiumSummit or contact Scott Breen, CMI’s senior vice president of sustainability: [email protected]
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global non-profit standards-setting and certification organisation. We bring together producers, users and stakeholders in the aluminium value chain with a commitment to maximise the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society. Working together, we aim to collaboratively foster responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium.
The Brazilian Association of Aluminium Can Manufacturers (Abralatas) was founded 21 years ago and is the leading voice of the aluminium beverage can industry in Brazil. Our mission is to represent the common interests of our members by uniting companies across the entire productive chain. We focus on strengthening and developing the sector while promoting incentives for the circular economy. Our efforts aim to establish aluminium cans as the most sustainable packaging in the world, positioning Brazil as a reference in aluminium can recycling.
The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) is the national trade association of the metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers in the United States. The can industry accounts for the annual domestic production of approximately 131.6 billion food, beverage, aerosol and general line cans; employs more than 28,000 people with plants in 33 states, Puerto Rico and American Samoa; and generates about $15.7 billion in direct economic activity.
The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) is the only body representing the global primary aluminium industry. The Institute has the most comprehensive global data on Aluminium with more than 50 years of analysis on production, consumption, energy use and environmental impact. For more information, visit www.international-aluminium.org, or connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
Metal Packaging Europe (MPE) is the united voice of Europe’s rigid metal packaging industry (steel and aluminium), bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, and national associations. We proactively position and support the positive attributes and image of metal packaging through joint marketing, sustainability and technical initiatives. For further information: MPE Secretariat, [email protected].
