Metal Cans Provide the Sustainable Packaging and Alternative to Plastic Packaging That Today’s Consumers Demand: A survey of U.S. consumers reported 84 percent as saying they expect products and packages to be easy to recycle and made with recycled content. Also, in a recent survey, 60 percent of consumers said they want non-plastic packaging. These consumer demands are not surprising given that 67 percent of consumers identify themselves as environmentally aware. Americans are more concerned about the ocean plastic than climate change, and plastic waste is the issues Americans feel they can impact the most.
Environmental Awareness is Driving Purchasing Behavior: A survey of global consumers found more than half (59%) are less likely to buy a product in harmful packaging. Further, seven in 10 U.S. adults surveyed would purchase a product because its packaging is better for the environment. One third of Americans in the past three months have actively tried to buy products packaged in something other than plastic.
Metal Cans Satisfy the Sustainability Demands of Consumers: Metal cans are recycled at scale with existing infrastructure and have the highest recycling rates among both beverage and food containers. Brands can claim with confidence that their metal packaging will be accepted for recycling and actually be recycled into a useful, recyclable product. Further, metal cans incorporate the recycled content that consumers demand. U.S. beverage cans, for example, have an average of 73 percent recycled content. In addition, food and beverage companies can make the claim to consumers that the aluminum and steel in the packaging can be recycled forever. More than 80 percent of consumer respondents said that the metal can’s ability to be infinitely recycled matters to them and 70 percent said that seeing the claim Metal Recycles ForeverTM motivates them to recycle. For more information on why putting the Metal Recycles ForeverTM logo on cans motivates consumers to recycle more and on how to get permission to use the logo on packaging, go to the Metal Recycles Forever section.
Metal Cans Provide an Alternative with a Superior, Authentic Sustainability and Circular Economy Story for Businesses Moving Away from Selling Plastic Bottles: More venues, retailers and businesses are announcing bans on plastic PET bottle sales in response to consumer demand. This includes San Francisco Airport, City of New York, Facebook’s offices and Washington University in St. Louis. Check out this list of plastic PET bottle bans. Aluminum beverage cans provide a superior alternative to plastic PET bottles that continue to satisfy the thirst of customers, employees and attendees with a wide variety of product options and in packaging that is recycled at scale today and incorporates high amounts of recycled content.