The study finds that recycling used beverage cans back into new cans through dedicated remelt operations could increase melt recovery rates by 18% and cut energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 15% compared to mixed-alloy recycling.

Today, 23% of the aluminium beverage cans are leaked and recycled into cast aluminum components, such as engine blocks for vehicles. However, reversing this process is not economically viable due to the fundamentally incompatible chemical composition of the two-alloy type. To produce 1,000 kilograms of can-grade aluminum sheet from cast alloys, remelters would need to dilute the material with roughly 980 kilograms of primary aluminum to correct elevated silicon levels—making the process both resource-intensive and cost-prohibitive. Aluminium cans already demonstrate one of the highest circularity rates of any packaging material. Used cans are continuously recycled into new cans without quality loss, made possible by advanced alloy design, precise metallurgy, and efficient processing.

The research also shows that greater closed-loop recycling could deliver an additional 50% reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions for aluminium cans, if 87% of recycled cans are returned to can production rather than other markets. This would require no changes to the remelting infrastructure and represents a major opportunity for the aluminium beverage can value chain to reduce its carbon footprint.

Expanding Deposit Return Systems (DRS) across the EU and UK by 2030 is expected to improve scrap quality and enable higher recovery rates, supporting this transition. 

Industry Perspectives

Innoval Technology:
“Innoval is delighted to work with leading stakeholders across the aluminium beverage can value chain in the build up to COP30. This study highlights can-to-can recycling as both a critical climate solution and an optimised engineering success. By controlling metallurgy and processing, the industry can unlock significant environmental benefits while maintaining quality.” — Mike Clinch, Innoval Technology

Ball Corporation:
“Increasing the circularity of aluminium cans is central to both sustainability goals and the economics of our value chain. The evidence makes it clear: investment in advanced recycling technologies is essential to cut emissions and drive a low-carbon future.” — Ramon Arratia, Ball Corporation

Heineken:
“Our commitment to sustainability means ensuring our packaging remains in a circular economy. Closed loop recycling of our aluminium cans helps us reduce waste and emissions while supporting our 2030 target of 50% recycled content in bottles and cans.” — Sonia Thimmiah, Heineken

Novelis:
“With over 75% of aluminium beverage cans recycled globally, the next step is to improve recovery rates through can-to-can recycling. This is where metallurgy and technology combine to deliver measurable climate benefits.” — Alison Lee, Novelis

Ardagh Metal Packaging 

“This study is another data point showing that can-to-can circularity has the potential to deliver a truly sustainable product with exceptional efficiency. For the beverage industry, regulators and other stakeholders, this should be a clear reason to ensure conditions are met to further increase can-to-can recycling rates and collection of used beverage cans.” — Til Ruhnke, Ardagh Metal Packaging

International Aluminium Institute (IAI):
“Understanding the linkages of the chemical composition, alloy microstructure and the properties of your final product is the foundation of driving can-to-can recycling. Innovation in recycling is key to advancing a sustainable, low-carbon future.” — Marlen Bertram, International Aluminium Institute

With aluminium beverage cans already leading in circularity and climate performance, can-to-can recycling presents a scalable, economically viable solution to support national climate commitments and industry sustainability targets being discussed at COP30.

The post At COP30: Can-to-Can Recycling Delivers 18% Higher Efficiency and Major Climate Benefits for Aluminium Beverage Cans appeared first on International Aluminium Institute.

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) today announced the appointment of Jonathan Grant as its new Secretary General. He will lead the organisation in advancing sustainability initiatives, strengthening industry collaboration, and maintaining the IAI’s position as the authoritative voice of the global primary aluminium industry.

Jonathan Grant is a seasoned climate and sustainability leader with extensive experience across the mining, energy, and professional services sectors. He spent nearly six years at Rio Tinto in policy and strategy roles, where he helped integrate the low-carbon transition into the company’s business strategy and operations, with a particular focus on aluminium and copper as key transition materials.

Mr Grant served on the Board of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) for a decade, including two years as Chair, during which membership nearly doubled and the organisation strengthened its financial position. A recognised spokesperson on climate change policy, he has worked extensively with investors, civil society, and industry peers to build consensus on climate and ESG issues, including scope 3 emissions and climate-related shareholder resolutions.

Ali Al Baqali, Chair of the IAI Board, said: “Jonathan was chosen from a strong field of candidates. The Board is delighted to appoint Jonathan Grant as our new Secretary General. He brings exactly the right combination of experience and vision to lead the IAI at this important moment. The aluminium industry has a vital story to tell about its contribution to sustainable development, and equally important work to do in advancing responsible production.”

Mr Grant, who joins the IAI from Rio Tinto, said: “I am honoured to join the IAI at such a critical time for our industry. The aluminium industry can be a force for good and the IAI has built an exceptional platform for driving meaningful change. I look forward to working with our members, partners, and stakeholders to accelerate progress on decarbonisation, advance the circular economy, and advocate for more responsible production across the world.” 

Mr Grant added: “The IAI’s strength lies in its collaborative approach and its commitment to rigorous, transparent data. I’m excited to build on the incredible foundations already in place at the IAI and help shape the conversations that will define the industry’s future for decades to come.”

The IAI’s work encompasses demonstrating aluminium’s essential role across sectors – from renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicles to construction and packaging – while facilitating industry-wide progress on key sustainability challenges. Recent initiatives include the GHG Initiative, established to demonstrate that commitments to cutting greenhouse gas emissions from aluminium production align with national policy goals and global scientific targets, and the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance, committed to achieving 80% global aluminium beverage can recycling by 2030 and near 100% by 2050.

The organisation continues to highlight aluminium’s circular economy credentials, with approximately 75% of all aluminium ever produced remaining in use today. Recycling aluminium saves over 16 tonnes of CO₂ for every tonne produced compared to primary production, and by 2050, recycled aluminium production is projected to grow from 32 million tonnes to 81 million tonnes annually.

The outgoing Secretary General, Miles Prosser, has served since 2019 and will continue in his role until February 2026. During Prosser’s tenure, the IAI has strengthened its position as the authoritative voice of the global primary aluminium industry, expanding its influence across sustainability, data transparency, and industry collaboration.

Al Baqali added: “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Miles for his outstanding leadership over the past six years. He has transformed the IAI into a more influential and effective organisation, and we are grateful for his continued dedication as we complete this transition.”

ENDS

Media enquiries

IAI: media@international-aluminium.org

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Belém, Brazil, 11^th November 2025

At COP30 today, the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) announced that aluminium beverage cans achieved a global recycling rate of 75% in 2023, a major milestone in the industry’s drive toward full circularity.

The achievement brings the sector more than halfway toward the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA)’s goal of 80% recycling by 2030, first established at COP28.

The milestone is highlighted in a new global study providing the most comprehensive analysis of beverage packaging recycling ever undertaken. Commissioned by the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA) and conducted by Eunomia Research & Consulting, the report compares recycling rates for aluminium, glass and plastic (PET) beverage containers across 35 countries, including Europe as a single market. Together, these regions represent 90% of the global aluminium market, 88% of PET and 84% of glass.

“This milestone shows real progress in keeping aluminium in circulation and out of landfills,” said Marlen Bertram, Director, Scenarios & Forecasts at the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). “Reliable, consistent data is essential to strengthen recycling systems worldwide, and COP30 gives us a vital chance to engage policymakers on this. Too many regions still lack accurate recycling data, a gap we must close through stronger cooperation between governments and industry. Greater transparency will help pinpoint where improvements are needed, boost recycling efficiency across all materials, and demonstrate what’s possible when the entire value chain works toward true circularity.”

The study aims to follow the EU’s calculation point for recycling, as defined in Commission Decision 2005/270/EC. It forms part of a three-year programme to improve global understanding of recycling performance, harmonise data definitions and enhance the quality and transparency of reported figures.

Key findings include:

• Aluminium achieved the highest global recycling rate at 75%, surpassing PET (47%) and glass (42%).
• Aluminium demonstrated strong performance even in regions with less developed waste management systems, underscoring its inherent circularity and high material value.
• Regional results showed exceptional outcomes for aluminium, with recycling rates reaching 94.6% in East Asia and the Pacific and 94.0% in Latin America and the Caribbean – significantly higher than rates recorded for other materials and regions.

“At Crown, sustainability is at the core of everything we do – from how we design, to where we operate, to the partners we work alongside,” said Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, Vice President of Global Sustainability & External Affairs at Crown Holdings. “Reaching a 75% global aluminium recycling rate marks a significant step forward for our industry and for the circular economy as a whole. It’s especially meaningful to share this milestone here in Brazil where we have a strong presence. Brazil’s leadership shows that a social and inclusive circular economy can empower waste workers and achieve world-leading recovery of the most valuable recyclable material”.

Andy Grant, Technical Director at Eunomia, said: “This study reinforces the need for continuous improvement in recycling infrastructure and policy. Governments and industry players alike have an important role to play in boosting the efficiency of recycling systems, not only for aluminium but for all materials. With better data, we can set more effective targets, monitor progress, and ultimately close the recycling gaps around the world.”

While all materials present opportunities for improvement in collection and recycling efficiency, aluminium cans remain the most recycled single-use beverage container globally. This strong recycling performance, combined with the aluminium industry’s commitment to advancing closed-loop, can-to-can recycling, is paving the way toward a truly circular economy for aluminium beverage cans.

Ramon Arratia, CSO at Ball Corporation, said: “As a global leader in sustainable aluminium packaging, Ball believes in the environmental, economic and social value proposition of circularity, and is committed to advance can-to-can recycling. In Brazil, a leading market for Ball’s operation in South America, the average recycling rate of aluminium beverage cans has been 98% for the past 15 years. This is the result of aluminium’s high circularity value that has, but also of the work of the more than 800 thousand waste pickers collecting cans across the country for recycling. They play a major role in recycling in the Global South, which reminds us of how critical a fair transition in our value chains is.”

Additionally, the research also reveals: 

• Substantial regional disparities in collection-for-recycling rates, reflecting differences in waste management systems, collection infrastructure, and policy environments. 
• Significant challenges in obtaining a complete global picture of recycling performance. Data gaps in recycling reporting proved to be a significant issue, with: 
  • 13 countries missing aluminium recycling data
  • 10 missing glass data
  • Six missing PET data
  • 24 countries were rated as having poor data quality or no data at all for aluminium, compared to 28 countries for glass and 25 for PET

These discrepancies underscore the urgent need for improved data collection and transparency. 

Francisco Pires, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer at Novelis, said: “As the world’s largest recycler of aluminum beverage cans – recycling more than 84 billion a year – circularity is core to Novelis’ business. As such, we continue to invest in expanding our recycling footprint and capabilities and are poised to support increases in consumer recycling around the globe.  

The GBCCA’s long-term vision extends beyond the 2030 target of achieving 80% recycling of aluminium beverage cans, aiming for near 100% recycling by 2050. This ambition reflects the industry’s commitment to fostering greater collaboration, enhancing recycling systems, and optimising resource efficiency as part of aligning to the lnternational Energy Agency’s Net Zero 2050 scenario. To achieve this target, the study has the following recommendations:

• Enhance data collection and transparency to further optimise recycling systems and foster greater industry collaboration.
• Establish national and/or state-level recycling targets for aluminium beverage cans.
• Formulate policies to help achieve these targets and enhance the quality of collected used beverage cans.
• Collect and publish data on aluminium beverage can recovery rates to monitor progress.

Midori Narita, Executive Officer, the Leader of the Corporate Sustainability Promotion Division of UACJ Groupsaid: “We are very proud to know that Japanese recycling rate of aluminium can reached about 99% in this study. Due to infinitely recyclable nature of aluminium, used beverage cans are being sorted and collected in society. In order to achieve higher can to can ratio, UACJ corporation maintains continuous effort to develop recycling technologies and investment in facilities in the US, Japan and Thailand.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

​​Table 1: Recycling rate of aluminium, glass, and PET beverage containers by region, 2023

*Europe counted as one ‘country’

Table 2:  Collection rates and recycling rates for aluminium cans, glass bottles and PET bottles, 2023

Media Enquiries

IAI: media@international-aluminium.org

About the International Aluminium Institute

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) is the only body representing the global primary aluminium industry. The IAI has the most comprehensive global data on aluminium with more than 50 years of analysis on production, consumption, energy use and environmental impact. For more information, visit www.international-aluminium.org, or connect with us on X and LinkedIn.

About Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance

The Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA) is an industry-led coalition established during COP28 to drive recycling solutions across the entire beverage can value chain. Its members include major aluminium producers, beverage can manufacturers, and recycling companies. It is focused on advancing can-to-can recycling as a cornerstone of a net-zero future, with ambitious goals of achieving 100% recycling by 2050 and an interim target of 80% by 2030. Find out more: https://international-aluminium.org/landing/global-beverage-can-circularity-alliance/

About Eunomia Environmental Research & Consulting

Eunomia Research & Consulting (Eunomia) is a global sustainability consultancy dedicated to delivering evidence-based and practical solutions that address the world’s most urgent sustainability challenges, with a focus on circular, low-carbon and natural economies. Visit eunomia.eco. 

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The IAI is spearheading collaborative efforts at COP30 to drive knowledge sharing, technological innovation, and financial mobilisation across the aluminium sector. To this end, the session, “People Driving the Circular Economy: Integrating Waste Pickers in Aluminium Recycling,” will address how millions of informal workers underpin the success of global recycling efforts, yet remain largely invisible in climate policy and finance conversations.

While the aluminium industry provides direct employment to 1.6 million people worldwide, between 15 and 20 million waste pickers operate informally, collecting and sorting post-consumer aluminium, which helps keep recycling rates high and emissions low. Their work is fundamental to the circular economy, yet these workers frequently lack access to the benefits and protections afforded by formal employment structures.

The panel of industry experts will:

• Explore practical approaches to integrating waste pickers into established recycling markets, ensuring alignment with international standards for ethical and inclusive material recovery. 
• Discuss innovative pilot programmes that are already underway, such as the CARE initiative in Colombia. Spearheaded by the ASI with support from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, CARE is testing new models that combine training, economic incentives, and supply chain transparency to create pathways for waste pickers to enter formal markets. 
• Examine how to optimise climate action frameworks and responsible sourcing standards to better acknowledge and support the contributions of waste pickers, creating more resilient and equitable value chains for recycled materials.

Marlen Bertram, Director of Scenarios and Forecasts at the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), says: “Meeting ambitious global recycling targets requires every stakeholder across the aluminium value chain to work in concert. From primary producers to end-users, and crucially including the waste pickers, we must build systems where everyone’s contribution is recognised and supported. Industry-wide alignment on responsible recycling practices is essential if we are to deliver on both our climate commitments and our obligation to ensure no one is left behind in the transition to a circular economy.”

Gabriel Carmona Aparicio, Circularity Research Manager at the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), says: “Achieving a truly circular aluminium value chain requires recognition of all actors contributing to post-consumer material recovery. At ASI, we are advancing practical approaches to support the formal inclusion of informal waste pickers in recycling systems. This work contributes to strengthening the social dimension of circularity and aligning recycling practices with international expectations on responsible sourcing.”

Janaina Donas at Associação Brasileira do Alumínio (ABAL), says: “Brazil and South America are home to vibrant informal recycling networks that have long been the backbone of our region’s circular economy. As we host COP30 in Belém, we have a unique opportunity to showcase how we can lead the way in creating inclusive recycling systems that honour the dignity and expertise of waste pickers while strengthening our collective climate response. Their integration into formal markets is not just an economic imperative, it’s a matter of social justice and environmental effectiveness.”

Panel speakers:

Gabriel Carmona Aparicio, Circularity Research Manager at Aluminium Stewardship Initiative

Severino Francisco de Lima Junior, President at International Alliance of Waste Pickers

Sandrine Duquerroy Delesalle, Vice President Global Sustainability & External Affairs at Crown Holdings

Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary of Urban Environment, Water Resources and Environmental Quality at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Brazil

-ENDS-

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The report, “Can-to-Can Recycling: Performance, Potential and Pathways”, compares real recycling rates, can-to-can recycling performance, and the fate of cans not returned to the cycle. It finds that while 71% of aluminium cans placed on the market are recycled, only 33% are made back into new cans, leaving significant untapped potential. 

Key findings 

• Aluminium cans lead globally: 33% (140 billion cans) are recycled back into cans — versus 7% for PET and 20% for glass. 

• Capacity for higher closed-loop rates: 87% of all recycled cans could be turned back into cans today without changing alloys or remelter operations — yet only 47% currently make that journey. 

• Downcycling remains a challenge: More than 20% of cans are used in products like engine blocks, where incompatible alloys prevent return to the can cycle. 

Pathways to 2050 

The factsheet models three scenarios: 

• Business as usual (33% can-to-can): 420 billion cans recycled would yield 207 billion new cans by 2050. 

• Improved practice (62% can-to-can): Raising closed-loop recycling from 47% to 87% could generate 685 billion cans. 

• Full circularity (95% can-to-can): With near-100% collection, compatible alloys, and high-quality scrap, nearly six trillion new cans could be produced from the same input. 

Achieving this transformation requires high collection rates, clean UBC scrap, recycling-friendly alloy design, and global policies to minimise contamination and scrap leakage. 

Marlen Bertram, IAI Director of Scenario Forecasts, said: 

“This analysis shows that aluminium cans aren’t just recyclable — they’re a blueprint for circularity. But true circularity demands more than collection. It eventually requires smart alloy design, clean recycling streams, and infrastructure that keeps valuable materials in play.” 

Regional insights 

• United States: World-leading 97% closed-loop rate, but overall recycling is just 43%. 

• Thailand: Strong performance with 72% of cans returning to cans. 

• Vietnam: Lowest can-to-can rate, hindered by export duties and missing infrastructure. 

A global call to action aims for 87% of recycled aluminium cans to be returned to can production, maximising both material and economic value worldwide. 

The potential of improved circularity of aluminium beverage cans will be central to two panel sessions hosted by the IAI at New York Climate Week. In one session on 25 September 2025, a panel of industry experts will explore where the industry is on the journey to a circular value chainwhile a second panel will look at the topic specifically in the light of investments, policy and technology. 

GBCCA Member Quotes: 

Midori Narita, Executive Officer, the Leader of the Corporate Sustainability Promotion Division of UACJ group said: “Material circularity is becoming essential across all regions and industries. The UACJ Group is investing in recycling facilities in Japan, Thailand, and the United States to expand our capacity to use used beverage cans (UBCs) as raw materials. On the technology front, we have successfully developed a new high-recycled-content alloy for the “Eco-End,” further enhancing the sustainability of beverage cans. UACJ Group will continue advancing both facilities and technologies to help realise a society where aluminium can be utilised infinitely.” 

Francisco Pires, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Novelis, said: “Today’s aluminium cans are helping beverage brands meet sustainability goals for recycled content and greenhouse gas emissions. If a used beverage can is kept out of the landfill and is instead recycled, it can become a new can in less than two months, making aluminum beverage cans one of the most efficient examples of circularity in packaging. As a world leader in aluminum recycling – including recycling more than 84 billion UBCs annually, Novelis continues to invest in new recycling capacity and capability to further maximize the environmental and economic value of every can.” 

Dorothea Flockert, Head of Group Sustainability & ESG Reporting of Speira, explained: “As member of the standardization project of EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM’s Packaging Group, Speira thrives to push the beverage can’s recyclability to 100 percent. Besides, we digitize the circular economy: With speira.ID, we create a product passport that provides full transparency about every cast batch, every rolled coil and every product manufactured from it. A detailed proof of origin is created on the basis of digital data: what is in it – pre- and post-consumer scrap, primary aluminium, alloy additives from recycled or primary sources? What is the ‘carbon footprint’ of each of these ingredients? And finally: what is the specific ecological footprint of each kilogram of aluminium product?”  

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Despite being the world’s most recycled material, with three-quarters of all aluminium ever produced still in use, too much aluminium is still lost to landfill instead of staying in circulation to make modern life possible. While more than 660 million aluminium cans are consumed in the UAE every year, only a third are recycled. This gap highlights the urgent need to expand recycling infrastructure and foster collaboration with regional can makers and waste management firms to accelerate recycling rates, boost the circular economy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” 

Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, Vice President of Global Sustainability & External Affairs at Crown Holdings, Inc. said: “Crown has long served as a champion for the circular economy and the importance of higher beverage can recycling rates. Our work across the value chain continues to aim for greater collection through policies like deposit return schemes (DRS) and extended producer responsibility (EPR), as well as through investments in sorting technology and consumer education programs. These initiatives are allowing us to make progress on closing the gap identified in our new fact sheet and ultimately strengthening our industry’s overall sustainability performance.” 

John O’Maoileoin, Group Sustainability Director for CANPACK Group, said: “I’m delighted to be part of this year’s New York Climate Week, representing not just CANPACK but a fantastic industry driving real change. Aluminium beverage cans are infinitely recyclable, retaining their quality each time they re-enter the cycle. This makes them a true driver of circularity—keeping valuable materials in use and waste out of the environment. By choosing cans, we accelerate the transition to a more sustainable, resource-efficient future for people and the planet.” 

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Monday, 22 September

Alcoa and Eurasia Group open Climate Week with a high-level discussion on “Industrial Strategy in an Era of Geopolitical and Climate Uncertainty” with Alcoa CEO Bill Oplinger, Freeport-McMoRan CEO Kathleen L. Quirk, and Eurasia Group Vice Chairman Gerry Butts.

Tuesday, 23 September

Hydro convenes a full day of dialogue with leaders on securing critical minerals for a resilient future, the role of recycling in the climate agenda, peacebuilding and global cooperation. They will highlight the path to COP30 in Brazil.  

Wednesday, 24 September

World Bussiness Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is organising the Critical Materials Collective’s in-person workshop. The Collective is a platform for advancing real-world pilots, circular value-chain expansion, and demand aggregation for high-quality, low-carbon recycled materials, starting with aluminum and expanding to other critical materials such as copper and rare earth elements. As a partner of WBCSD on aluminium, IAI will co-lead the discussion on next-generation projects for the sector. 

Thursday, 25 September

Closing the week with Aluminium in Action: How Beverage Cans are Closing the Circularity Loop, hosted by the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance and co-moderated by IAI and the Aluminum Association.

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At Climate Week NYC, the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA) will reaffirm its goal of achieving close to 100% recycling of aluminium beverage cans by 2050, with an interim goal of 80% global recycling rates by 2030. The GBCCA will outline how technologies can accelerate the transition to a fully circular economy for aluminium beverage cans. 

The GBCCA’s Global Advocacy Plan, released in 2024, set out the industry’s vision and pathway to achieving higher recycling rates. With this foundation in place, the focus is now on leveraging technology and investment to deliver measurable progress, particularly in transitioning countries, where policies are not in place to support high recycling rates, recycling systems are not yet fully mature and may apply single stream collection, have low participation rates, or are lacking sorting infrastructure for mixed recyclables. By 2030, more than half of all cans placed on the global market are projected to be sold in these regions. 

The GBCCA will host the ‘Investment and Technology Spotlight Session’ as part of the International Aluminium Institute’s event ‘Aluminium in Action: How Beverage Cans Are Closing the Circularity Loop’ During Climate Week NYC. The GBCCA’s session will showcase breakthrough technologies designed to help bridge recycling gaps in transitioning markets, including:

• Robotics and AI systems: How they are capable of extracting aluminium beverage cans from unsorted municipal solid waste streams.
• Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs): How equipment can be deployed to ensure cans that arrive at the facility make their way into the appropriate bale. 
• Large-scale deposit return machines: How they can be engineered to handle entire bags of beverage containers at once, making returns faster and more consumer-friendly.
• A next-generation home recycling system: How they can be designed to bring closed-loop recycling directly into households.

These innovations demonstrate how industry leadership and investment can accelerate progress towards circularity even in regions where government ambitions remain limited.

Marlen Bertram, Director Scenarios and Forecasts at the International Aluminium Institute, said: “Aluminium is uniquely positioned to drive decarbonisation through recycling, and aluminium cans have significantly more circularity potential than glass bottles or plastic containers. Therefore, by investing in and deploying advanced technologies we can support aluminium in contributing to a net-zero future.” 

Matanya Horowitz, CTO and founder of AMP, said: “Advanced robotics and AI systems are game-changers for waste management. By autonomously sorting and recovering aluminium cans from municipal waste, we can unlock immense volumes of valuable material that would otherwise be lost. This not only boosts recycling rates but also creates a more efficient, sustainable waste stream.”

Matt Prindiville, CEO, CLYNK, said: “Consumer participation is the heart of any successful recycling system. Our ecosystem is designed to make it easy, fast, and clean for people to do the right thing—dropping entire bags at once, right where they shop. When recycling fits seamlessly into daily life, participation soars and collection rates rise dramatically.”

Aldous Hicks, Founder of Lassoloop Loop Recycling, said: “True circularity begins at home. Next-generation home recycling systems can empower individuals to take an active role in the process. By making closed-loop recycling accessible and easy in every household, we can build a grassroots foundation for a more sustainable future, one recycled can at a time.”

Sarah Pamplona Santos, Senior Project Director at Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy, said: “In the U.S., each year we’re sending more than $1.5B of aluminum cans to landfill. As recycling rates fall, and demand rises – it is urgent we take action. At Closed Loop Partners we invest in communities to increase recycling access, partner with communities to catalyze behavior change, and invest in equipment to increase capture of valuable materials–including used beverage cans. But we know this is a challenge no one group can tackle alone, and are building a platform for industry-wide collaboration.  

The IAI’s ‘Aluminium in Action: How Beverage Cans Are Closing the Circularity Loop’ event at Climate Week NYC will explore how the aluminium industry’s commitment to advancing circular solutions in can-to-can recycling is central to supporting the International Energy Agency’s goal of achieving Net Zero by 2050.  

“Aluminium cans can be recycled over and over again, but realising their full potential requires innovation as well as policy,” said Marlen Bertram. “These technologies demonstrate how we can move from vision to action, helping countries with transitioning recycling systems to achieve the next level of performance.”

ENDS

About Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance 

The Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA) is an industry-led coalition established during COP28 to drive recycling solutions across the entire beverage can value chain. Its members include major aluminium producers, beverage can manufacturers, and recycling companies. It is focused on advancing can-to-can recycling as a cornerstone of a net-zero future, with ambitious goals of achieving 100% recycling by 2050 and an interim target of 80% by 2030.

The post Investing In Innovation: GBCCA Showcases New Technology To Close The Recycling Loop For Aluminium Cans appeared first on International Aluminium Institute.

The flagship session, “Aluminum in Action: How Beverage Cans Are Closing the Circularity Loop,” will convene industry leaders, recyclers, investors, policymakers and climate advocates to explore how aluminum packaging can help drive global decarbonization targets.

Set for September 25, 2025 at the Civic Hall, the event will unveil new circularity data, feature high-impact technology and investments improving recycling rates, and introduce policy recommendations to scale can-to-can-loop recycling.

“Aluminum is one of the few materials that can be recycled over and over again without losing quality. When we recover it, we cut carbon, reduce waste, secure supply chains and preserve value,” said Marlen Bertram, IAI’s Director of Forecasts and Scenarios.

According to recent IAI data:

• Aluminum cans have the highest global recycling rate of all beverage containers; and
• Recycled aluminium uses 95% less energy than primary production.

Based on today’s global recycling rate, 87% of all cans recycled could go back into cans, thereby avoiding downgrading or loss of valuable alloying elements such as manganese and magnesium, but only 47% of all recycled cans actually do this globally.

Although the global aluminum can recycling rate is 71%, the recycling rate of aluminum cans in the United States is just 43% according to a 2024 report by the Aluminum Association, This means that more than one out of every two cans consumed in the United States ends up in a landfill. 

“Each year, more than a dozen 12-packs of aluminum cans end up in landfills for every person in the United States. We are throwing away more than $1 billion worth of aluminum each year,” said Curt Wells, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs & Corporate Stewardship at the Aluminum Association. “At a time of increasing demand and calls for greater domestic supply chain security, accepting the status quo on recycling is no longer acceptable.”

“Aluminum beverage cans remain the most recycled drink package in America with a rapid 60-day journeyfrom recycling bin to newly formed can,” said Can Manufacturers Institute President Scott Breen. “The U.S. aluminum beverage can industry is also leading in efforts to increase recycling by advocating for a high performance approach to producer-funded recycling, forging partnerships to address away-from-home recycling through the Every Can Counts U.S program, and funding can capture equipment – including artificial intelligence-powered robots – via revenue share agreements at materials recovery facilities.”   

The event comes amid growing momentum for circular systems globally, as climate and material efficiency agendas converge.

Speakers include:

• Sandrine Duquerroy Delesalle, Vice President Global Sustainability & External Affairs, Crown Holdings 
• Dorothea Flockert, Head of Sustainability, Speira
• Curt Wells, Sr. Director, Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Stewardship, US Aluminum Association 
• Mr. Naoki Tokizane, Executive Officer, President, UACJ North America, Inc
• John O’Maoileoin, Global Sustainability Director, CANPACK SA
• Francisco Pires, CSO, Novelis
• Ramon Arratia, Chief Sustainability Officer and VP Public Affairs, Ball Corporation
• Najeeba Hassan Al Jabri, Chief ESG & Sustainability Officer, Emirates Global Aluminium
• Joe Quinn, Executive Director, Center for Strategic Industrial Materials, SAFE
• Others

Register here:https://international-aluminium.org/events/aluminium-in-action-closing-the-circularity-loop

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The comprehensive study, which examines the technical and economic feasibility of retrofitting CCS technology to existing aluminium potlines, finds that whilst CCS is technically viable, significant policy support and the broadening of carbon pricing will be essential to make it economically attractive.

What are the key findings?

1. CCS appears to be a technically feasible decarbonisation option for retrofitting to smelter potlines although further research is needed before widespread commercialisation can occur
2. Broadening carbon pricing is a key driver for the CCS business case and breakeven CO2 prices of $180-$205/tCO2 are required for a representative smelter retrofit in the Middle East region
3. Raising the CO₂ concentration in flue gas could reduce capture costs by 22-32% but creates additional technical challenges
4. Opportunities for CCS on specific potlines will be region and site dependent creating an opportunity for well positioned smelters to be first movers in this field

Read the report here.

Collaboration needed for success

The report emphasises that successful deployment will require collaboration between carbon capture technology suppliers, aluminium producers, policymakers and infrastructure developers.

Key recommendations include:

• Enhanced collaboration between technology suppliers and aluminium smelters to optimise advancements in both CO₂ upgrading and waste heat recovery
• Continued investment in emerging capture techniques and waste heat recovery technologies
• Policy support through incentives, subsidies and carbon pricing mechanisms
• Development of CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure

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Their joint efforts will strengthen the voice of aluminium producers and consumers, focusing on improving collection systems, enabling closed-loop recycling, designing products for recycling, preventing downcycling, and maximising high-quality recycling across the aluminium value chain.

Collaborating for Impact
“Although 75% of all aluminium ever produced remains in use, 71% of mixed scrap is downcycled, limiting its potential for reuse in high-performance applications,” said Quentin Drewell, Senior Director of Circular Products and Materials at WBCSD. 

“By combining the GBCCA’s leadership in beverage can recovery with WBCSD’s Critical Materials Collective, we can unlock high-quality secondary materials, reducing energy by up to 95% compared to primary aluminium. Together, our aligned efforts and cross-value chain expertise can scale closed-loop systems, reduce waste, and accelerate global decarbonisation,” he added.

Through this partnership, the GBCCA will concentrate on enhancing the collection of aluminium beverage cans, while the Critical Materials Collective will work to increase the recovery of high-quality aluminium scrap, ensuring valuable material is not lost to downcycling. This joint initiative brings together two historically separate objectives, increasing recycling rates and boosting recycled content, into a unified strategy. By aligning these efforts, the partnership seeks to foster true cross-sector collaboration and deliver meaningful, structural change across the aluminium value chain.

These coordinated efforts are critical in addressing the growing imbalance between supply and demand for sorted aluminium scrap, which is projected to reach 60 million tonnes by 2050. 

At the same time, they aim to tackle the anticipated surplus of 19 million tonnes of unsorted scrap, ensuring more material is efficiently recovered and reused. 

“Each year, approximately 7 million tonnes of aluminium scrap are lost from the recycling cycle, with at least 6 million tonnes being unsorted and downcycled,” said Marlen Bertram, IAI’s Director of Forecasts and Scenarios.

“Increasing recycling rates and strengthening closed-loop systems are critical to meeting the growing global demand for aluminium in a truly sustainable manner,” She added.

Both alliances are committed to advocating for policies that support a circular economy, promoting closed-loop recycling systems, and enhancing the environmental performance of the aluminium sector worldwide.

Industry Support
Backed by leading industry players and more than twenty-five WBCSD member companies, this collaboration signals strong momentum across sectors to build more resilient, high-quality, low-carbon material supply chains. This partnership represents a significant milestone in the aluminium industry’s transition towards circularity, demonstrating how collective action can drive tangible progress in sustainable materials management.

#ENDS#

About the International Aluminium Institute   

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) is the only body representing the global primary aluminium industry. The Institute has the most comprehensive global data on Aluminium with more than 50 years of analysis on production, consumption, energy use and environmental impact. For more information, visit www.international-aluminium.org, or connect with us on X and LinkedIn.    

About the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)    

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a global community of over 240 of the world’s leading businesses driving systems transformation for a better world in which 9+ billion people can live well, within planetary boundaries, by mid-century. Together, we transform the systems we work in to limit the impact of the climate crisis, restore nature and tackle inequality.​  

We accelerate value chain transformation across key sectors and reshape the financial system to reward sustainable leadership and action through a lower cost of capital. Through the exchange of best practices, improving performance, accessing education, forming partnerships, and shaping the policy agenda, we drive progress in businesses and sharpen the accountability of their performance.  

Follow us on LinkedIn. www.wbcsd.org

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