Beverage can producers endorse net-zero strategy

The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and its members, including aluminium beverage can manufacturers and can sheet producers, have endorsed the Mission Possible Partnership's (MPP) transition strategy for achieving a net-zero, 1.5°C-aligned aluminium industry. This reflects the industry's commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of primary aluminium used in beverage cans and contributing to the fight against climate change.

The carbon footprint of aluminium beverage cans in North America has already been reduced by almost half since the 1990s, and the MPP strategy is expected to further reduce the carbon footprint by decreasing the carbon profile of primary aluminium used in beverage cans.

Achieving a net-zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050 and limiting global warming to 1.5°C will require various actions, including using new technologies, decarbonizing power supply, and increasing material and product efficiency. The MPP aluminium transition strategy provides an actionable and achievable plan.

The CMI members endorsing this strategy recognize the importance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C and agree that actions should be taken expeditiously to support the transition.

Increasing the recycled content of aluminium beverage cans is another way to reduce their carbon footprint. The United States already has the highest average recycled content of any beverage container at 73%, and the industry aims to increase this by achieving recycling rate targets set by CMI and its members. The target is to reach a 70% recycling rate by 2030, 80% by 2040, and 90% by 2050. CMI's Aluminium Beverage Can Recycling Primer and Roadmap outlines how these targets can be achieved.

Scott Breen, CMI's Vice President of Sustainability, stated that their strategy involves two parallel paths of reducing the carbon footprint of the aluminium beverage can: lowering the carbon footprint of primary aluminium used and increasing the recovery of used beverage cans to increase the recycled content in new cans.