产品的比较
When compared to other substrates such as plastic and aseptic containers, metal’s mettle shines through to an undeniable degree.
再循环能力
Beverage cans feature the most recycled content on average compared to other formats. Consumers recycle 铝 cans at a rate of 69% on average, globally—more than double the rate that they recycle plastic bottles and aseptic containers.
寿命
Beverage cans offer a 60-day turnaround from point of consumption to appearing back on the shelf, allowing the same beverage can to be used six times per year. PET bottles are instead often missorted due to paper labels, inks, etc. that interfere with processing, sending them to landfills. Aseptic containers are also likely to end up in landfills, as they must be downcycled into composite materials that may not make it through the recycling stream at end of life.
价值
Beverage cans help to fund the entire recycling system due to their inherent and increasing value as a substrate. 截至2021年, cans were valued at over $1300 per ton, more than 4x that of PET bottles and nearly 60x more than aseptic containers—underscoring the importance of recapturing and reusing the material.
Two bar charts stacked vertically detailing different recycling statistics. 顶部条形图, titled "价值 Per Ton of Recyclable Material - The Aluminum Association 2021 Data," showcases the monetary value of different recyclable materials in ascending order starting from the bottom. 第一栏, 标签上写着“玻璃瓶”,标价约为20美元, the next bar labeled "Cartons" is marked at $22, the third bar is labeled "PET Bottles" and is marked at $299 dollars, and the last bar is labeled "Aluminum cans" and is marked at $1,317.
The bottom bar graph, titled "U.S. Closed-Loop Circularity Rates for competing Packaging Types," compares recycling rates by material in ascending order. 第一栏, labeled "PET bottles," is marked at 26.8%. The second bar, labelled "Glass Bottles," is marked at 59%. The final bar, labelled "Aluminum cans," is marked at 92.6%.
The bars of both graphs have been designed to appear like the material their statistic is referencing. The source for this data comes from http://www.aluminum.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/KPI_Report_2021.pdf
| 铝制饮料罐 | 无菌纸盒 | 塑料瓶 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 永久的材料 | 是的 | No | No |
| Zero Loss of Properties Over Time | 是的 | No | No |
| Average Recycled Content | 75%(欧洲) | 纸箱:未知 | 11%(欧洲) |
| Consumer Recycling Rate | 76.1%(欧洲) | 51%(欧洲) | 58.2%(欧洲) |
| 闭环回收 | 是的; 95% of beverage cans get turned into new cans. | No | 是的 for some plastic types; but currently, only 2% of plastic packaging is kept in a closed loop. |
| Strong Barrier to Light and Oxygen and Retains Carbonation | 是的 - completely impervious to light and oxygen and retains carbonation. | Some protection against light and oxygen, but incompatible with carbonated products. | Limited barrier properties for light, oxygen, and carbonation. |
| 循环变化 | Can return to shelf as new beverage can in 60 days. | Requires separation of plastic, paper, and 铝 layers; some coatings make recycling impossible. Often "downcycled" into other composite materials rather than recycled into the same materials, due to fiber restrictions and multiple layers. These composite materials are not always recyclable at end of life, resulting in a linear progression rather than a loop. | Relatively few recycled bottles become new bottles. Bottles that are recycled are often downcycled into products like t-shirts and carpets that are often not recycled at their end of life. |
| 轻量级 & 耐久装运 & 消费者使用 | 是的 | 轻量级, but susceptible to damage during transport and storage. | 轻量级, but susceptible to damage during transport and storage. |
| Economic 价值 (material price per ton) | €620+至€820+(美国.K.) | $22.50 (U.S.) | - 35欧元至180欧元以上(美国.K.) |
Data sources: The Recycling Partnership's 2020 State of Curbside Report; Metal Packing Europe; Petcore Europe.
*Includes aluminium foils and trays
**Includes non-bottle PET