Aluminum beverage can recycling has declined to the lowest point in decades

The latest data from the Aluminum Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) has found that the recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans in the United States has declined in recent years. The associations partly blame aging recycling infrastructure and a passive approach to recycling policy. 

"Our current approach to recycling in America is simply not working at the level we need," says Charles Johnson, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association. "While we recycled more than 46 billion cans in 2023, we threw away more than 61 billion cans - that's an average of around 15 twelve-packs of cans for each person in the country.

Valuable material ending up in landfills

The latest data is based on a survey of aluminum can recyclers and canmakers, government, and other data sources, and found that 43 percent of aluminum cans shipped in the United States in 2023 were ultimately recycled - far below an average rate of around 52 percent since tracking began in 1990. According to CMI, while this still comfortably exceeds the equivalent recycling rate for glass (39.6 percent) and plastic (PET) bottles (20 percent), recycling rates for aluminum cans are at their lowest point in decades.

"That's nearly $1.2 billion worth of aluminum that ends up in a landfill every year," says Johnson. "This is bad for the economy, the environment, and national security. It also puts the United States toward the bottom of aluminum can recycling compared to peer countries."

Tailored strategies for increasing targets

"Greater coordinated action and increased long-term strategic investments are necessary to raise the aluminum beverage can recycling rate," said CMI president Robert Budway. "Our recycling primer and roadmap demonstrates how we can achieve our targets of a 70 percent recycling rate by 2030, 80 percent by 2040, and 90 percent by 2050. We recognize reaching these targets will be a challenge that requires tailored strategies for our unique and diverse political environment. Certain policy prescriptions, such as comprehensive extended producer responsibility laws that include recycling refunds (deposit return systems), will greatly improve recovery of beverage containers."

Other report findings include:

• The industry recycling rate, which includes the recycling of all aluminum used beverage containers (UBCs) by the U.S. industry (including imported and exported UBCs) stands at 57 percent, near the 30-year average of 60 percent.
• The closed-loop circularity rate measures the percentage of recycled material used to go back into making the same product. When recycled, glass and plastic are often turned into different products that are not recyclable or are unlikely to be recycled again. Aluminum, meanwhile, can be recycled infinitely to make new cans. The closed loop circularity rate for cans ticked up more than four points from the last report to 96.7 percent. This compares to 34 percent for PET bottles and between 30 and 60 percent for glass bottles.
• The average recycled content of an aluminum can made in the United States stands at 71 percent, down slightly from 73 percent reported in 2019 but far exceeding glass bottles (23 percent) and plastic bottles (three to 10 percent).
• The aluminum can remains by far the most valuable beverage package in the recycling bin, with a value of $1,338/ton compared to $215/ton for PET and a negative value of $23/ton for glass, based on a two-year rolling average through February 2024. 

 
The Aluminum Association and CMI are working with several organizations, including canmakers, beverage brands, environmental organizations, and policy think tanks on new approaches to drive increased recycling in the United States, as detailed in the aluminum beverage can recycling rate targets progress report that was also released by CMI. 

Funding container deposit programs

One promising approach is the expansion of recycling refund programs (also known as container deposits) to more states. According to Ball's 50 States of Recycling report, eight of the top 10 states for aluminum can recycling have recycling refund policies. The 10 states that have such programs boast an average aluminum can recycling rate of 68 percent compared to an average of 22 percent in non-refund states.

The Aluminum Association and CMI are also working at the federal level to support passage of two bipartisan bills by the end of the 118th Congress they say would meaningfully improve recycling systems in the United States. The Recycling Infrastructure Accessibility Act (RIAA) and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (RCAA) will increase access to recycling services and improve tracking of recycled material that is essential to America's supply chain security, sustainable economy and manufacturing base.

"If we are truly serious about meeting clean energy goals - and building more secure and resilient domestic supply chains - better recycling policy is essential," says Johnson. "Simply recycling all of the aluminum cans we currently throw away would generate enough energy to power two million homes for a year. Americans don't agree on everything, but we can all agree that this is a pointless waste, and we must do better."

Increased investment in recycling capacity

These issues are particularly acute as the U.S. aluminum industry is investing in new recycling and other capacity at levels not seen in decades. In the last decade, Aluminum Association member companies have announced more than $10 billion in domestic manufacturing operations - including new, U.S.-based greenfield facilities for the first time since the 1980s. 

Aluminum demand is growing thanks to increased demand for sustainable packaging, safe and efficient vehicles, greener buildings and vital infrastructure, says CMI.  In this environment, it is all the more important to keep more of the metal we already have for productive use. To read the full 2024 report, visit www.aluminum.org/CanAdvantage.