Recycled Aluminum Cans Market Size, Standards & Compliance

Recycled Aluminum Cans Market Size, Sustainability & Economy Data

The recycled aluminum cans market size to rise from USD 3.90 bn in 2025 to USD 4.91 bn by 2030. Europe dominated the recycled aluminum cans market in 2023 while North America is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.

Recycled Aluminum Cans Market Size and Growth Insights

The recycled aluminum cans market size reached US$ 3.56 billion in 2023 and is projected to hit around US$ 5.90 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2034.

Recycled Aluminum Cans Market Revenue 2023 to 2034

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The market is flourishing due to the increasing medical sector, food and beverages, beauty and cosmetic brands, and several others which require aluminum cans to store various products in different sectors. The growing concern for health, hygiene, and medical cases is boosting the recycled aluminum cans market.

Major Key Insights of the Recycled Aluminum Cans Market

  • Europe dominated the recycled aluminum cans market in 2023.
  • North America is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.
  • By source type, curbside pickup spots for recycled aluminum cans dominated the market with the largest share in 2024.
  • By technology type, the closed-loop recycling segment is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.
  • By type, the food & beverage containers segment held the largest share of the market in 2023.
  • By end type, the transportation segment is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.

Recycled Aluminum Cans Market: Sustainable Packaging

The recycled aluminum cans market plays a significant role in the packaging industry and it is driven due to its sustainable packaging solution. Aluminum is an important metal that is used in various industries such as food, transport, power transmission, construction, and electronics. It is well-known for recycling as it requires less energy for the recycling process and is highly valuable as scrap. When aluminum metal is recycled, it stays the same quality as its basic construction remains the same even after melting several times. This property makes it both environment-friendly and cost-effective. Only 5% of the energy is required for recycling aluminum than to make new aluminum cans, but all the properties of the metal stay still the same as the original one.

Aluminum can be recycled over and over again without losing any of its quality. Aluminum cans are lightweight and durable and have excellent barrier properties hence widely used for storage to preserve food and beverages for a longer duration. Due to the continuous rising concern towards healthcare among people, the demand for aluminum can packaging has enhanced to keep food and beverages safe and protected from contamination.

Aluminum cans are widely preferred in pharmaceutical packaging as these metals have unique natures and benefits. These cans are highly used in the pharmaceutical sector due to their influence on medicine storage and safety purposes. Aluminum cans are extensively used in medical packaging because of their extraordinary barrier properties. These are suitable for protecting medications from moisture, air, and light, and airtight sealing. This property is mainly important for complex medicines and these features, as the integrity and effectiveness of the medications can be well-maintained for extended periods. The global packaging industry size is estimated to grow from USD 1.20 trillion in 2022 to reach an estimated USD 1.58 trillion by 2032, growing at a 3.16% CAGR between 2023 and 2032.

Production of Aluminum in 2023 (In Millions)

Major Driving Factors for Recycled Aluminum Cans Market

  • The rising concern in the healthcare sector significantly influences the packaging market. The hygiene quality it provides to all the products for long-term storage ensures their safety.
  • Advanced recycling technology influences processing, production, fabrication, and recycling methods more efficiently and cost-effectively. This boosts the recycled aluminum cans market development.
  • Growing food and beverages packed products consumption among people requires long-term safe food storage as it keeps food contamination-free.
  • The lightweight and durable properties of recycled aluminum cans make them an ideal choice for transporting products safely.
  • The versatile nature of aluminium cans is useful for several industries and drives the market.
  • These cans are easily recyclable, making them eco-friendly to use and attracting several businesses to include such packaging.

Brazil Now Offer 100% Recycled Aluminum: Becomes the First Country

  • In January 2024, Brazil achieved a 100% recycling rate of aluminum cans. The Brazilian Association of Aluminium Can Manufacturers explained that the recycling model of Brazil is well-structured, capillary, and mature enough to spread and work on all UBCs dumped in the entire country.
  • In the year 2022, the rate of aluminum cans recycled was found to be more in comparison to the volume retailed. It is an extraordinary condition resulting from inventory alterations all over the manufacturing chain. Abralatas functioned with numerous recycling and sustainability organisations and almost 100 can-pickers to recycle nearly 10 tonnes of UBCs in five days of the Rio de Janeiro carnival. The cans were assembled, arranged, and managed in particular locations. Brazil is also the 3rd largest user of cans in the world and more than 31 billion units were wholesaled in 2022. Waste pickers are an important part of this entire process of recycling.

How Can AI Improve the Aluminum Recycling?

Artificial intelligence is useful for the recycled aluminum cans market in multiple ways that inspire market players to use it. It helps to enhance the recycling of aluminum cans packaging purpose. This is beneficial in estimating the reduction of waste as well as the consumption of energy by analysing the production pattern of the packaging materials. By utilizing the sensor data which can deliver useful statistics for the improvisation of products. With the usage of artificial intelligence data analysis features the quality of the materials used to make recycled aluminum cans packaging can be recognized to detect its capacity for recycling.

Such detection makes the recycling process quite easier and enhances the production of good quality material for a variety of packaging purposes. The quality of these products plays a significant role during the recycling process. With this, the wastage of products can be reduced and influence eco-friendly production. Production facilities can be enhanced with artificial intelligence. It can decrease the consumption of energy needed for the production process and reduce the wastage of materials. Analysing the demand for the product before its production can reduce the wastage of products. With artificial intelligence analysing huge data is possible to produce according to the requirement.

Driver

Strict Environmental Guidelines Influenced Recycled Aluminum Cans Market

Governments of foremost countries in the world are realizing strict guidelines to manufacture recycled aluminum cans to decrease waste and endorse sustainability. Development in environmental awareness concerning the growing negative impact of surplus production on the environment and the value of resource conservation is anticipated to drive the recycled aluminum cans market development shortly. Recycled aluminum cans aid in reducing the amount of excess thrown into landfills. It also assists in protecting natural resources, as recycling needs less energy and resources than manufacturing new aluminum cans. This allows numerous industries to endorse sustainability, decrease their carbon footprint, and restrict requirements on ores for producing raw aluminum. These benefits are enlarging the request for recycled aluminum cans in various sectors such as packaging, automotive, and construction. This is likely to outgrowth the recycled aluminum cans market development in the upcoming years.

World Production of lumina, By Country, 2022 (P) (in %)

Developments in recycling techniques have made processing, production, recycling, and fabrication procedures more well-organized and cost-effective. This is allowing numerous markets to enhance energy efficacy, decrease waste and releases, and expand efficiency. The charge for recycled aluminum cans is frequently less than that of new aluminum cans which makes it a cost-effective substitute for producers. Hence, technical progressions in producing recycled aluminum cans boost the growth of the market.

Restraint

Ecological Issues Intact With the Recycled Aluminum Cans Market

There are numerous ecological difficulties related to the recycling of used aluminium products these issues are the main challenges for the recycled aluminium cans market. Here are a few of the problems associated with the recycling of aluminium cans. Recycling aluminum products requires less energy than is needed to produce new products from raw materials. In numerous countries, there are different laws for waste disposal. Hence, these are the major factors that` hinder the growth of the recycled aluminum cans market. In some cases, it is instructed not to use aluminum as it reacts with salty or acidic foods when aluminum ions come in contact with such foods are acidic or salty aluminum ions start dissolving and get into food items. Due to these reactive properties, many companies avoid using recycled aluminum cans for their product packaging.

Opportunity

Growing Application of Recycled Aluminum Cans Enhance the Opportunities of This Market

Apart from beverage packaging only, recycled aluminum cans are expanding their ways into additional applications. Recycled aluminum cans are used more frequently in the automotive industry to manufacture lightweight car machinery that reduces the weight of the vehicle and raises fuel proficiency. Because of its durability, resistance to corrosion, and sustainability recycled aluminum is also used by the construction sector for various structural workings, cladding, and roofing.

The market is anticipated to develop as more usage for recycled aluminum grows, which as a result enhances the demand for recycled aluminum cans. Plastic and aluminum both are non-biodegradable products but aluminum can be recycled numerous times so it is considered the best fit for packaging purposes by various industries. The enormous production of aluminum benefits major market players to experiment with several methods that can be sustainable, eco-friendly, durable, cheaper, lighter in weight, and many such advantages that can attract several businesses to use this material as a packaging solution.

Production of Aluminum in India (In Lakh Tonne) (In 2022-23)

  • In September 2023, according to the Ministry of Mines, India restricted the use of poor-quality of aluminum from December 2023. India currently imports approximately 40% of its aluminium needs in the alloy scrap form.
  • In December 2023, in Dubai they have the target to recycle 100% aluminum cans used for beverage packaging by 2050. Till now they have achieved 70% recycling of total beverage cans.

Segment Insights

Curbside Pickup Spot Recycled Aluminum Cans Market Leading in 2023

In the recycled aluminum cans market the curbside pickup spots source segment is anticipated to govern the market during the predicted period. Curbside recycled products are the most extensively used method for the collection of aluminum cans. Commercial spots and residential places distinct recyclable products from their other waste and keep them in different recycling bins or spaces to help waste management market employees collect them. Several recycling programs naturally allow aluminum cans with other recyclable materials such as plastic, glass, paper, and plastic. These recyclable aluminum cans are shifted to a place where they are stored, segregated, cleaned, and then processed to recycle into new aluminum products. The recycled aluminum cans market has a significant role in the packaging industry, indicating a substantial shift towards eco-friendly and sustainable packaging solutions in the catering, food and retail sector.

  • In December 2022, Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. collaborated with Artemira Co., Ltd. and MA Aluminum Corporation started a 100% aluminum cans recycling program CAN to CAN.

The major market players are regularly introducing innovative designs and production methods for aluminum cans. These are widely used in the food & beverages industry as they keep drinks safe for long-term storage.

Aluminum Imports from China to the US

CHINA 2021 2022 2023
Volume (KG) 15,180,798 25,947,970 24,603,285
Value (USD) $56,216,384 $112,086,402 $90,145,613

The Dominance of Closed Loop Recycling Segment to Sustain

This closed-loop recycling segment held the largest share of the market in 2023, the segment is expected to hold the largest share of the recycled aluminum cans market. In this process, all the scraped aluminum is recycled under a closed loop and then manufactured into a new product. This process of continuous production of recycled aluminum happens in a loop for indefinite times. These are preferred as they can be sterilized easily which makes them ideal for keeping everything contamination-free. Aluminum recyclable nature makes it more suitable as it can be reused even after any kind of damage.

Recycling Initiatives by Companies: Food & Beverages Segment to Lead

The food & beverages segment is expected to dominate the recycled aluminum cans market. Soft drinks are generally packaged in aluminum cans as they are considered to be non-reactive which makes them easy to store for a longer period. These are also convenient to transport from one place to another this leakproof quality makes them preferable to the industry. Various market players are working constantly to provide the best quality packaging solutions that can be useful to keep food items safe and protect them from contamination. As people in majority are seeking ready food which is a hassle-free option for having a meal. Due to eco-friendly properties, there is a huge investment in this sector from government as well as private companies that led to the development of various methods which are beneficial in several ways.

Growing Ecological Concern in Packaging Industry: Europe Projection as a Leader

Europe is considered to hold the largest share of the recycled aluminum cans market during this predicted period. Due to the growing concern for environmental issues, the government of several countries have implemented strict guidelines for packaging industries which has enhanced the recycling process of aluminum cans. This also led to an increase in the picking up of aluminum scraps and recycling with cleaning into other materials.

  • In April 2024, the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) started leading a European Union project known as RecAL. It is developed to promote the circular economy, sustainability, and resource efficiency in the aluminum industry.
  • In January 2024, NOMOQ announced about introducing ‘Blank Cans’ on its website NOMOQ.com. It is to offer digitally printed cans.

Growing Concern for Environment-Friendly Products in the Packaging Industry: Influencing the Growth of North America

The growing concern among people about the environmental impacts forced industries to use recycled aluminum cans in countries like the U.S., Canada and others. Recycled aluminum cans are extremely favoured because of their recyclable nature and low carbon footprint during production. Due to regular efforts from the government as well as major market players the usage of plastic is reduced by promoting such elements which are eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions. The rising health concern also forbids people from using plastic materials instead preference for aluminum packaging increased. These are reliable solutions for packaging as they maintain food quality as well as easy to recycle.

  • In November 2023, Hydro became a world-leading company in recycling aluminum cans and produced recycled and low-carbon aluminum.

New Advancements in the Market

  • In September 2024, Billy, which is an Australia-based water packaging company announced the launch of 100% natural spring water in aluminium cans.
  • In February 2024, Crown and CANPACK in partnership with Emirates Global Aluminium announced the launch of Every Can Counts. It is an initiative to influence people to promote the use of recycled aluminum cans.
  • In October 2024, PPG in partnership with Can Manufacturer Institute (CMI) announced about linking a U.S. recycling movement to gather millions of aluminum beverage cans as part of the 2 Millions Cans Recycling Contest. 
  • In October 2023, Budweiser Brewing Co APAC Ltd, launched a recycling program in China Can-to-Can. It is developed with a motive to boost the recycling process of aluminum cans.
  • In September 2022, Suntory Spirits, started pushing the recycling process of aluminum cans. It has introduced of a 100% recycled aluminum 350-mL can derived solely from recycled aluminum cans.
  • In May 2024, Ball Corporation collaborated with CavinKare to develop innovative aluminum cans in India for Milkshake. They aim to produce 100% sustainable and eco-friendly packaging.

Top Companies in the Recycled Aluminum Cans Market

  • Ardagh Group
  • Ball Corporation
  • CPMC Holdings
  • Recycle Biz
  • Toyo Seikan
  • Abc metals
  • Ace Cans Manufacturing Co
  • Albott Containers Private Limited
  • Alumatic Cans pvt LTD
  • Amcor
  • Constellium
  • GZ Industries
  • Nampak

Recycled Aluminum Cans Market Segments

By Source

  • Curbside Pickup Spots
  • Community Drop-off Sites
  • Buyback Centres

By Technology

  • Closed Loop Recycling
  • Open Loop Recycling

By Type

  • Food & Beverages Containers
  • Hairspray & Deodrant Cans
  • Inhaler & Ointments Sprays
  • Pain & Enamel Sprays

By End Use

  • Transportation
  • Packaging
  • Electrical & Electronics
  • Building & Construction

By Region

  • North America
    • U.S.
    • Canada
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • UK
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Sweden
    • Denmark
    • Norway
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Thailand
  • Latin America
    • Brazil
    • Mexico
    • Argentina
  • Middle East and Africa (MEA)
    • South Africa
    • UAE
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Kuwait
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  • Insight Code: 5319
  • No. of Pages: 150
  • Format: PDF/PPT/Excel
  • Published: October 2024
  • Report Covered: [Revenue + Volume]
  • Historical Year: 2021-2022
  • Base Year: 2023
  • Estimated Years: 2024-2033

Meet the Team

Deepa Pandey is a market research expert in packaging with 3+ years of experience, specializing in regulatory compliance, design innovations, sustainable packaging, and delivering insights to enhance safety and efficiency.

Learn more about Deepa Pandey

Aditi Shivarkar, with 14+ years in packaging market research, specializes in food, beverage, and eco-friendly packaging. She ensures accurate, actionable insights, driving Towards Packaging 's excellence in industry trends and sustainability.

Learn more about Aditi Shivarkar

Related Insights

FAQ's

The recycled aluminum cans market size reached US$ 3.56 billion in 2023 and is projected to hit around US$ 5.90 billion by 2034.

4.7% is the growth rate of the recycled aluminum cans industry.

Europe region leads the global recycled aluminum cans market.

Ardagh Group, Ball Corporation, CPMC Holdings, Recycle Biz, Toyo Seikan, Abc Metals, Ace Cans Manufacturing Co, Albott Containers Private Limited, Alumatic Cans Pvt LTD, Amcor, Constellium, GZ Industries, Nampak are the prominent players operating in the recycled aluminum cans market.