The preservation of the environment for aluminum soda cans is dependent on its material properties and life cycle management effectiveness, according to International Aluminum Association statistics, the recycling rate of aluminum cans globally has reached 89%, far higher than glass bottles (about 50%) and plastic bottles (about 25%). Pure aluminium contains a melting point of as little as 660°C, yet the production process requires 60% less energy than for steel, though electrolytic aluminium manufacturing still represents 5% of the entire world’s electricity need. A study commissioned by the EU indicates that 1 ton of aluminium recycling can conserve 13,000 cubic meters of raw water and 90% of the carbon in manufacturing, amounting to 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide storage.
The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates the carbon footprint of an aluminum can at 21 kg CO₂ equivalent/kilolitre volume, which is 40% less than PET plastic due primarily to its ability to be recycled without end and only having 5% of the initial pollution of manufacture when recycling is undertaken. Despite this, aluminium mining still encounters biodiversity loss, with mining in Brazil’s Amapa state resulting in a 2.1% per annum decrease in rainforest cover.
A consumer protection test found that most of the 201/202 series alloy used in the lock pieces of the market soda can, its corrosion resistance is 30% worse than the pure aluminum, but increases the processing energy consumption by 15%. The “100% recycled aluminum can” launched by a Japanese beverage company in 2024 minimizes the carbon footprint to 12 kg CO₂ equivalent/kilolitre through a closed-loop recycling system, which has been incorporated into the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) demonstration project on the circular economy.
It should be mentioned that the amount of bisphenol A (BPA) leached from the coating type of aluminum in soda cans is lower than plastic bottles, but there is still a trace risk. The European Union’s “Food Contact Materials Regulation” requires that aluminum cans must be capable of undergoing a 90-day removal test, where only 78% pass the test, and therefore some producers have turned to pure aluminum can designs without coating, but these will only last 3-5 years, which contributes to wastage of resources. According to research in the “Nature” journal, if aluminum cans worldwide are fully changed to non-coated type, waste per annum will be 12 million tons more.