Novelis collaborates with DRT to accelerate aluminum can recycling

Aluminum provider and recycler Novelis has partnered with DRT Holdings, a metal packaging expert, to accelerate aluminum rolling and recycling. The collaboration aims to boost the adoption of high-recycled-content alloys in aluminum beverage can ends.

Novelis and DRT plan to optimize the design, conversion process, and sustainability attributes of beverage can ends by making them from the same alloy as the can body. This “uni-alloy” design solution enables beverage can-ends to be made from up to 99% recycled content, reducing their carbon footprint by more than half. 

Their goal is to achieve a uni-alloy end for the global aluminum beverage can market.

“Novelis is committed to accelerating the transition to a more circular aluminum beverage packaging industry, and this partnership with DRT is a key step in that journey,” says Greg Schlicht, senior vice president and chief commercial officer at Novelis.

“By working with an industry leader in can end manufacturing, we believe we can ensure that beverage brands and can makers have solutions to accelerate uni-alloy adoption without compromising quality.”

Advanced recycling and rolling

DRT provides high-speed manufacturing equipment for beverage can ends, producing up to 3,000-ends-per-minute.

Globally, Novelis’s beverage bottles feature an average of approximately 85% recycled content.

Brandon Rinehart, vice president of Innovation at DRT, adds: “DRT has a long-standing legacy of innovation, having helped bring the easy-open end to market, and today we’re building on that legacy with a clear focus on sustainability and smart engineering.”

“By leveraging our technical know-how with Novelis’ advanced recycling and rolling technology, we are unlocking new value and improving efficiencies via sustainability benefits for the entire beverage can industry.”

Novelis recently joined a network of aluminum supply chain partners created by Meadow, a Sweden-based refillable packaging company.