The overall recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in Europe has increased to a record 73%.
European Aluminium considers this result an important milestone on the path towards a of target of 75% for 2025, proposed by the European Union.
Maarten Labberton, director of the European Aluminium Packaging Group
On the whole, across the European continent nearly 30 billion cans have been recycled.
This means that every second an aluminium beverage can is being recycled somewhere in Europe.
The metal stays in the European circular economy and remains available for the production of new aluminium products.
Recycling aluminium takes 95% less energy than producing it from its raw materials.
The recycling process also generates only 5% of the greenhouse gas emissions.
EU statistics agency Eurostat says it is safe to assume that all European citizens together recycle more than 60% of their used aluminium packaging.
Maarten Labberton, director of the European Aluminium Packaging Group, has called on the EU member states to make an extra effort to collect, sort and recycle more drink cans and other aluminium packaging items within the coming years.
‘’While we support the ambitious 75% target for aluminium packaging we strongly recommend that local authorities together with the waste management chain invest more in innovative sorting technologies.
Fortunately, these investments will pay off quickly, due to the relatively high scrap value of aluminium’’.
Through its successful awareness programme with the can manufacturers, Every Can Counts, European Aluminium is continuously addressing the collection and recycling of so called “out-of-home” cans; cans consumed at the workplace, at festivals or other outdoor events.
In 2017 Poland and the Benelux countries joined Every Can Counts and more countries are expected to adopt this programme in the near future.
