Aluminum Can Recycling
Old, discarded aluminum cans are among the most commonly collected products at Krommenhoek Metals. We purchase them worldwide, baled into bales. They are then sent to smelters with whom we maintain long-term, sustainable relationships. After all, we know exactly what quality the smelters need for their smelting and production processes.
Why are there so many old aluminum cans?
Soft drink and beer brands like to offer their products in cans—a packaging option that is both sustainable and visually appealing. These cans are not only manufactured all over the world but also sold and used there. This means a great deal of air, road, and water transport is involved in ensuring that a can reaches the consumer. An important reason for choosing aluminum is therefore to reduce transport weight. After all, it is a very lightweight material, especially compared to iron. This makes it possible to transport many more units in a container, within the maximum load weight.
Aluminum has yet another advantage as a packaging material: it is highly resistant to carbonated beverages such as soft drinks and beer.
Aluminum Cans and Sustainability
The raw material bauxite is extracted from the Earth’s crust and then processed into the final product, aluminum. After that, it can be recycled indefinitely. So you can drink from an aluminum can over and over again, return it, have it processed, and have it melted down into a new one. In other words: aluminum is an incredibly sustainable product. In the Netherlands, it’s not possible to recycle aluminum cans, but it is within the European Union. To that end, Krommenhoek Metals has long-term contracts with smelters.
Recycling Rate
The recycling of aluminum cans in the European Union is on the rise. This results in a total reduction of four million metric tons of CO₂ emissions. Growing can consumption is seen as a major contributing factor. Metal Packaging Europe and European Aluminium have launched a joint roadmap for 2030. The roadmap aims to achieve a 100% recycling rate for cans over the next decade.
Deposit-Return Systems
“We would like to see more countries switch to modern, well-designed deposit-return systems that allow for optimal use of the high scrap value and quality of the collected aluminum cans,” says Maarten Labberton. He is the director of the Packaging Group at European Aluminium. “The most efficient solution for recycling cans would be to reuse them in the production of new cans,” he adds. “No other type of beverage packaging can achieve such high recycling rates with so little virgin material, resulting in product circularity and a reduction in CO2 emissions.”
Need help?
Do you have any questions, or would you like immediate assistance? Our team is ready to provide you with personalized advice and the right solution.
