Europe records 73 percent beverage can recycling rate
A report by two Brussels-based trade groups has found the aluminium used beverage can (UBC) recycling in 2020 checked in at 72.8 percent. The rate was the first one recorded since new EU recycling reporting rules have been put in place, according to Metal Packaging Europe and European Aluminium.
By weight, 510,000 metric tons of UBCs were recycled in 2020 according to the two groups, saving 4.2 million tons of CO2 emissions, by their measure. The region measured includes the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
The nearly 73 percent figure for 2020 entailed 3 percentage point drop compared with 2019 but a growth of 9 percent cans consumed. “The total amount of aluminium recycled from cans reached a record level of 510,000 metric tons, an increase of more than 20,000 metric tons since the previous year,” state the two groups.
Can manufacturers (members of Metal Packaging Europe) and their aluminium suppliers (members of European Aluminium) say the good news lies in the high rate after introduction of the new EU recycling reporting rules. As well, they praise “the spectacular growth in cans consumed” and that “the total tonnage of recycled aluminium cans has increased.”
Most EU member states now report at the point of entrance of a recycling (melting or reprocesing) facility, instead of the collection phase. This has resulted in a recycling drop for some packaging materials.
