Packaging is one of the foremost uses of aluminum across the United States and beyond.
New reports suggest that its recyclable nature is gaining more attention than ever, helping its popularity.
Waste 360, in a general report on the metal's uses in the packaging industry, found that just over a quarter of the aluminum used in the U.S. goes into packaging, which was the most popular use ahead of transportation products. About 30 percent of the country's metal supply comes from recycling. Recycled cans are the most prominently recycled aluminum product, which is especially when advertising a push toward both recycling the packaging and recovering materials from said packaging.
Aluminum can take on different packaging forms. Rigid aluminum is used for beverage and food packaging, with cans dominant in beverage packaging yet only a small part of food packaging. These cans are normally three-quarters aluminum. Foil packaging and flexible packaging are also common applications of the packaging type, found in everything from pie plates and frozen food trays to cigarette foil and candy wrappers.
More than half of packaging cans are recycled, representing about 710,000 tons per year. This represents as many as 62 billion cans, as of 2012 data, and 68 percent of the material in them can be recycled and recovered. Another positive factor seen in the market is that can weight is dropping by a noticeable margin - in the last 40 years, the number of cans in a pound leapt from 21.75 to 34.57.
More emphasis on recycling
The Aluminum Packaging Recycling Organization, or ALUPRO, of the United Kingdom is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, according to a recent press release. As a result, it's turning its views to the past, reflecting upon achievements made in the past quarter-century and seeing where it can go from there.
ALUPRO noted that 25 years ago, the United Kingdom effectively did not recycle any of its aluminum packaging. More than 70,000 tons were recycled in 2013, pushing the recycling rate over 43 percent, and 57 percent for drink cans alone. This growth points toward a more mature and accepting industry that pushes for consumers to help the environment over time. That said, the organization reflected that there is still work to be done.
"Looking ahead there is still much to be done to meet ever-increasing legislative targets, both in Europe and within the devolved administrations that now make up the UK recycling landscape," said Rick Hindley, the executive director for ALUPRO. "With the continued support of our increasing numbers of Alupro members we are more than ready to explore new initiatives and rise to the challenge."
Recycling a new focus
The Associated Press added that aluminum recycling efforts are growing even more. One craft-beer manufacturer in Marietta, Georgia has began packaging its products in an aluminum can made almost entirely from recycled content. This "evercan" is certified to be the only aluminum can sheet that contains at least 90 percent recycled content.
"We're working on the technical performance, the alloy chemistry of the can, as well as continuing to build up our recycling capacity," said Novelis vice president and chief sustainability officer John Gardner to the news source. "And in the next few years we will be at 100 percent recycled content."
Thomas Sanders, an expert in aluminum at the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that the introduction of this product to an initially small market is a good idea, as positive word of mouth will rapidly expand the audience.
