Aluminum time high: Beverage can recycling in Europe hits record levels as more brands choose metal

16 Oct 2019 --- Recycling rates for aluminum beverage cans in the EU, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland rose to a record high 74.5 percent in 2017, a 2.3 percent increase from 2016. Almost 31 billion cans were recycled in EU and EFTA countries in 2017, representing a total of more than 420,000 tons of aluminum. However, the recycling success rates of aluminum beverage cans varies significantly between some nations. For example, Germany and Norway boast recycling rates of 99 and 98 percent respectively, while Romania and Portugal lag at 36 and 43 percent respectively.

Maarten Labberton, Director Packaging Group for European Aluminium, tells PackagingInsights that variations in the quality of the collection and sorting systems in place in EU and EFTA countries are the main reason for the contrasting recycling rates.

“In Germany, there is a Deposit Return System (DRS) generating excellent results while in Romania they have to deal with a large portion of unknown, informal recycling, which is not registered in the official statistics. In other countries with sub-optimal kerbside or ‘bring systems,’ they also lose a substantial fraction to landfilling. However, in most countries with well-functioning collection and sorting systems through, for example, the ‘yellow or blue’ bin or bag PMD systems (P=plastic, M=metal, D=drink cartons), we witness satisfying results.”

Maarten Labberton, Director Packaging Group for European Aluminium.All aluminum cans are equally recyclable, regardless of the color design, format or size. Also, recycling aluminum consumes 95 percent less energy than producing it from raw material, while the recycling process generates only 5 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced from raw material production. European Aluminium estimates that can recycling saves the annual equivalent of approximately three million metric tons of GHG emissions, or the annual emissions of a mid-sized European city like Belfast, Malmö or Thessaloniki.

“Aluminum packaging and in particular beverage cans can be easily collected and sorted at a reasonable cost and they keep their high scrap value. This can mount up to €800 per metric ton in a well-functioning PMD system to more than €1000 per metric ton in a DRS,” Labberton continues.

“Furthermore, aluminum maintains its material characteristics, even after several rounds of recycling. The atomic structure remains intact and the same beverage can is able to be used, collected, sorted and recycled over and over again. Other aluminum packaging can be remelted into, for example, castings for the automotive industry and even the aluminum we retrieve from incinerator bottom ash can be used again – after some purity treatment – for castings and rolled products.”

Building on recycling success
Can manufacturers (members of Metal Packaging Europe) and their aluminum suppliers are “confident” that the European can recycling rate will increase further in the coming decade, primarily through a combination of measures such as improved PMD collection systems (“yellow” or “blue” bags and bins) and incentive-based initiatives such as “modern” DRS and voluntary take back (“cash for cans”) schemes.

Labberton explains that a combination of different but well-functioning collection and sorting systems are necessary to achieve the highest possible recycling rates for aluminum cans.

“DRSs generate the best results, certainly if all competing containers (PET, glass bottles and aluminum beverage cans) are under the same conditions and unredeemed deposits are used for improving the system. For example, a 25-33-50 cl. container should have the same deposit fee of 10-15 cents, while larger containers more than a liter should have a fee twice or three times higher.”

“Other collection systems such as PMD kerbside will only function if they are well managed nationwide with the same sorting message to all consumers and the same bin or bag color. Also, the sorting centers should be well-equipped with ‘Eddy’ current separators and sensor-based sorting. The remaining cans can be retrieved from incinerator bottom ash,” Labberton adds.

Brands, big and small, choose metal
Can manufacturers and aluminum recyclers are ready to invest in additional recycling capacities, providing other stakeholders, such as public and private waste management operators, are equally prepared to invest in additional and modern sorting facilities.European aluminum beverage can recycling rates (2017, EU 28 + Iceland, Norway & Switzerland), data sources: EPR schemes, Deposit Return Systems (cans only), EUROSTAT, Industry Reports, PRN Notes (UK).

European Aluminum is benefitting from cooperation with “all four leading can manufacturers in Europe (Ball, Ardagh, Crown and Can-Pack),” says Labberton. All have launched innovative beverage cans in different sizes with very attractive coatings, including the use of glow in the dark inks.

“Most importantly, we see that small and big brands increasingly use aluminum beverage cans. Some mineral water companies now start to use cans instead of PET bottles. Other relatively new and important customers are energy and health drinks and craft beers. The more traditional soft drinks and beers fillers have always used cans and might now consider also using less PET and glass bottles by replacing them with aluminum cans,” Labberton tells PackagingInsights.

Last month, UK-based Life Water has launched a sparkling version of its natural spring water in a matte black aluminum can, with a black colored shell and tab, produced by Ardagh.

Innovation in aluminum packaging is not limited to cans. Global supplier Ball is currently piloting its “infinitely recyclable” aluminum cups in the US. The cups were developed over the past several years as an alternative to plastic for use at home and in other areas where plastic cups are common

Recycling versus reusable
Lifecycle analyses (LCAs) show that with high recycling percentages, aluminum beverage cans are at an equal sustainability level with refillable glass bottles, says Labberton. With longer distribution lines of 200 km or more, they may even have an advantage over the rather bulky and heavier glass containers.

Consumer convenience also plays an important role: cans are light, easy to transport and quickly cooled. From a recycling point of view, cans also offer a lot of advantages. “Once used they can be easily crushed and transported and the recycling saves 95 percent energy and greenhouse gasses, compared to using primary aluminum. Can-to-can recycling is also not a problem, providing the collecting systems provide the right quality and quantity,” Labberton concludes.

By Joshua Poole