INTRODUCTION
The European Green Deal, presented by the European Commission in December 2019, is the EU’s new growth strategy to transform Europe into a modern, resource efficient and competitive economy.
Aiming at accelerating the transformational changes required by the Green Deal, the new EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2.0 for a cleaner and more competitive Europe, published in March 2020, establishes a sustainable product policy framework along the entire life cycle of products. Within this new Action Plan, the packaging sector is recognised as one of the key product value chains which the European Commission will address through policy and legislative measures.
In this context, the aluminium beverage can has its place at the core of a resource efficient and circular economy. It is a metal packaging product made from a permanent and high-value material with outstanding inherent properties. It is lightweight, durable, impermeable, versatile and endlessly recyclable based on an attractive and sleek design. There are approximately 60 plants located across Europe producing over 75 billion cans and ends per year, with over 25 thousand employees. There are approximately 20 aluminium plants in Europe active in the production of rolling slabs and coils of aluminium can sheet and the recycling of aluminium packaging including beverage cans, with about 1200 employees directly involved. 17% of the total European aluminium market ends up in packaging, with the beverage can as the most important single packaging item. Cans are highly appreciated by consumers, as evidenced by the many new canned product launches. Fillers and consumers are fully aware of the sustainability credentials of beverage cans due to their being mono material and without any need to remove a printed design.
Aluminium cansheet production and can recycling facilities and beverage can manufacturing plants in Europe
Source: Metal Packaging Europe & European Aluminium, March 2021
In Europe, the recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans stood at 76.1% in 20181. The momentum created by the recently adopted ambitious EU 2025 and 2030 recycling targets for aluminium packaging, as well as the new EU methodology for the calculation of these targets, is the opportunity for us to set out our ambitious vision of a 100% recycling rate for the aluminium beverage can in Europe by 2030.
Achieving this goal will certainly require strong collaboration between all key stakeholders across the packaging value chain, from local authorities and municipalities, public and private waste collectors, packaging recovery organisations, sorting and recycling operators, material and packaging suppliers to brands, retailers, consumers and regional and national governments.
With this Roadmap, we seek to pave the way and identify the key enablers which will help us achieve the aluminium beverage can’s full potential as a front runner for a true circular economy. To achieve our goal, we will pool our knowledge and expertise together with relevant stakeholders across the whole value chain to create synergies and put the right circular processes and systems in place.