Atoms recycle forever, or if not forever at least a very long time, probably billions of years. (Okay, so there are some unlucky ones that undergo nuclear decay, or other such traumas.) Does this mean we will live forever? No, the atoms might, but we won’t, we’re too complex to be recycled over and over.
What about aluminium cans? Will they be recycled into other cans forever? If recycling aluminium cans is so easy, why do so few boast about the amount of recycled aluminium in them? Stella Artois are one the few that does. It is one of the most prolifically littered cans where I live. Have a look at what is says on the can:
Brewed with 100% British barley
Ingredients of natural origin
Renewable electricity
50% Recycled Aluminium
So, if aluminium is so easy to recycle why is the percentage so low? Maybe the UK is just not very good at recycling cans. Well, the infrastructure for this mainly relies on the end user making an effort to sort and put used cans in the right place. Many can’t be bothered and so a lot are “lost”. Then the experts tell us that the two-part drinks can is made from 3 different alloys, one for the body, one for the lid, and one for the tab, each containing various elements in different amounts, and you need an extra supply of virgin aluminium to recreate the required alloys when they are re-melted. And so, is it just propaganda about metals recycling forever if the manufacturing process is just too complex to be truly circular? Let’s see, if you have a billion cans in circulation, and each can is recycled, let’s say four times in a year, then haven’t you effectively replaced the entire billion cans with virgin metal by the end of the year? Isn’t it funny that consumers are expected to recycle all these cans out of the goodness of their heart, while the bauxite miners, the smelters, can makers, drinks manufacturers, shops, waste collectors and reprocessors all bank their profits.
And here is a lovely PET soft drinks bottle. Made from 100% recycled plastic of course.
Addendum
August 2025. Novelis and DRT announce plans to make cans “more recyclable” by using a single alloy for the body and lid of the can. Aluminium already recycles forever and recycled cans are back on the shelf in as little as 2 months. To tie in with the new Spinal Tap film this year my suggestion for the marketing team is to announce that these new cans are 111% recyclable.
Novelis and DRT Collaborate to Advance Sustainability of Aluminum Beverage Can Ends (Dated 14 August 2025)