Packaging Solutions
A new website has been launched to showcase the benefits of drinks cans, reflecting the UK’s growing demand for more sustainable drinks packaging. Run by the Can Makers, the trade body representing drinks can manufacturers in the UK, the Sustainability Hub provides the go to, ‘one stop shop’ for the latest information and resources on sustainable metal drinks packaging.
The site’s launch means market experts, drinks makers, brands, retailers, industry bodies and governments can access the information they need in one easy place. It covers six focus areas: sustainable packaging, the proposed deposit return scheme (DRS), the circular economy, recycling aluminium, permanent materials and sustainable design, where users can find videos, in-depth reports, articles, data and infographics.
With a whole host of information available, the Hub aims to bring clarity for users. The dedicated online portal will be continuously updated with the latest information from industry bodies and other thought leaders.
Marcel Arsand, chairman at the Can Makers, said: ‘Sustainability is a complex topic, with many stakeholders involved – all of whom need to work together to develop the best solutions to our single use plastic challenge in particular and use of packaging in general.
‘The aluminium drinks can is a great example of a highly sustainable pack widely available in the market right now. We frequently hear confusion around what packaging types are really recycled, rather than just ‘technically recyclable’, and what viable solutions are open to us to reduce our environmental impact. The Sustainability Hub provides clarity for the drinks can by collating useful resources from respected industry sources in one, easy to navigate place. This will support users to make informed decisions about their sustainable drinks packaging opinions and choices.’
With a current recycling rate of 72% in the UK, aluminium drinks cans are easy to collect and sort and are infinitely recyclable. In fact, we have the capacity to recycle every drinks can placed in the UK market as part of a European recycling network. It is also predicted that the recycling rate will reach 85% within two years with the existing systems already in place.
Furthermore, aluminium is a permanent material and can be infinitely recycled because they don’t lose any of the material’s inherent quality – there is no ‘downcycling’. Cans provide the foundation for us to achieve the Government’s goal of becoming a truly circular economy.
Visit the Sustainability Hub at www.canmakers.co.uk/sustainability-hub