Ball and Recycle Aerosol boost US aluminum can recycling for energy and carbon efficiencies

20 Apr 2022 --- Ball is partnering with Recycle Aerosol to increase the recycling rates of aluminum aerosol cans in the US. The partnership creates a closed-loop process where used cans are recycled into new aerosol cans.

According to Predrag Ozmo, sustainability manager at Ball, the US is experiencing poor overall recycling rates, although aluminum pack recycling is relatively well established. “Today only 25% of US waste is recycled. Clearly, we can and must do better,” he tells PackagingInsights.

The company says the production of aluminum products from recycled aluminum is very energy and carbon-efficient as the alloys used for producing aluminum aerosols are of high purity. Therefore, when sourced specifically from recycled aluminum aerosol bottles and cans, there are efficiency gains that also reduce the need for virgin aluminum.

Once the used aerosol cans have been emptied, they are re-melted and the remelted secondary ingots are then shipped to Ball, where they are used to make new, infinitely recyclable aerosol cans. 

The company says the production of aluminum products from recycled aluminum is very energy and carbon-efficient.Freeing “trapped” metal
Despite the US’ poor overall recycling rates, aluminum enjoys relatively successful circularity. “Aluminum is a prime example of true material circularity – 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today and it can be recycled infinitely, without loss of quality,” explains Ozmo. “It is also one of the most valuable materials on the market, so no additional incentives are needed to recycle it.”

“Due to its superior properties, much of aluminum is ‘trapped’ in long-lasting products like airplanes, buildings and window frames, and as a result, only about one third of global demand for aluminum can be satisfied from recycled sources.”

“That is why keeping valuable materials like aluminum in the material loop and having it recycled over and over again is one of the foundations of the circular and low-carbon economy and why we at Ball are determined to improve collection and recycling of aluminum aerosol cans worldwide.”

Intelligent alloy design 
Ozmo highlights Ball’s beverage and aerosol containers have been made from recycled aluminum for years. 

“The biggest challenge is to benefit from this truly circular material by maximizing recycling rates to maintain a healthy supply of recycled aluminum,” he explains. 

“Intelligent alloy design, like with Ball’s ReAl platform, helps accommodate a broader spectrum of available recycled ingots. In fact the composition brought by readily available recycled ingot actually facilitates lightweighting through enhanced mechanical properties.”

Beverage can inspiration
Beverage cans are currently setting the benchmark for aluminum packaging recycling. “At Ball, we are working toward those same high standards for aerosol cans.”

Each year in the US, a small portion of filled aerosol cans are deemed unsaleable and never used by consumers for a variety of reasons, including a lack of consumer education around proper disposal and recyclability of aerosol cans in general, Ozmo explains. 

“At Ball, we recognize the existing issues in the end-of-life management of aluminum aerosol cans. We are committed to significantly improving recycling rates worldwide, working together with the industry, our value chain partners and brand owners.”

Sustainability manager Ozmo says: “Aluminum is a prime example of true material circularity.” “We are confident that by joint efforts and dedicated work, we can make aluminum aerosol cans as recyclable as beverage cans and keep the precious metal they are built from in the infinite material loop.”

Gary Okey, executive VP of Recycle Aerosol, adds: “Recycle Aerosol has four decades of experience recycling unsaleable filled aerosol bottles and cans that include damaged packaging, manufacturing rejects, out-of-date contents or changed marketing campaigns which may not otherwise be recycled.”

As its core business, Recycle Aerosol has developed and honed its engineered process to collect the fluids and gasses from the unused aerosol and provide these valuable separated ingredients to new end-users.

Carbon concerns
However, working on improving the recycling loop is not the only environmental sustainability factor. Despite high recycling rates for both aluminum and steel packaging, production practices account for some of the largest shares of global carbon emissions globally. 

Meanwhile, the slight drop in skyrocketing magnesium prices is failing to allay fears of “catastrophe” in the European metal packaging industry, according to a spokesperson from European Aluminium. European Aluminium has accused the Chinese government of causing a material shortage through decades of illegal dumping.

Kelly Roegies, European Aluminium’s communications manager, explained to PackagingInsights that the continued disruption in the magnesium market could potentially result in higher carbon footprint through increased Chinese primary aluminum imports.

More recently, The International Organisation of Aluminium Aerosol Container Manufacturers (AEROBAL) reported that global shipments by its members declined by 1.2% in 2021 to around 5.6 billion units. AEROBAL, whose members include metal packaging giants like Ball, says this decline is largely due to COVID-19 disruptions and inflating prices throughout global markets.

However, the organization says the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine is now “by far the greatest concern for manufacturers.”

By Natalie Schwertheim