CIAL report claims Italy recycled 73.6% aluminium packaging waste last year

During their annual meeting in Milan on May 12th, the National Aluminium Packaging Consortium (CIAL), a non-profit organization in Italy, shared the impressive results of their waste management model for recycling aluminium packaging.

The waste management programme aligns with the European Green Deal's new Circular Economy Action Plan observations. CIAL reported that a gigantic 73.6% of aluminium packaging waste was successfully recycled in the previous year, surpassing Italy's recycling targets for 2025 (50%) and 2030 (60%). If energy recovery was included, this percentage increased to an even more astounding 78%.

The president of CIAL, Carmine Bruno Rea, mentioned: "For aluminium packaging, 'disposable' is an almost outdated concept, while 'use and recycle' is increasingly widespread."

"The 'single-use' concept, generically associated with the packaging sector, does not suit packaging made with aluminium, a material that is infinitely recyclable by nature," he attested.

Italy's recycling system has proven to be highly efficient, with the recycling rate of aluminium beverage cans reaching a remarkable 91.6% in 2022.

Bruno Rea exemplified: "Aluminium is easy to recycle, and in Italy, we do it well."

"It is the ideal material for producing packaging (beverage cans, tins, aerosol cans, trays, coffee capsules, etcetera) because it is light, malleable, resistant to impact and corrosion and because it guarantees a barrier effect against light, air, humidity and bacteria, in line with the standards required in the food and beverage sectors for long and safe food conservation," he added.

This achievement surpasses the European average of 73% and rivals other nations' deposit-refund systems. As we have previously witnessed the Governments of Scotland, Netherlands and Ireland discussing issues related to the DRS, it is surprising to see another European country emerging as a recycling head globally.

"Aluminium packaging is increasingly consistent with the principles of prevention and the socio-economic development models of the Green Economy," Rea rested his case.