Aluminium cans are the most environmentally friendly and most recyclable type of container in the world. Aluminium cans allow the beverages inside them to retain their taste, while protecting them from the negative impact of the elements. In addition, the can itself does not get rusty or lose its properties in any other way. More than half of the aluminium in existence today will be recycled. In some countries the share of aluminium cans in circulation is much greater than in others, for example in Germany 95% of all beverages are contained in aluminium cans.
On average, it takes just 60 days to manufacture one aluminium can, fill it up with a beverage, deliver it to a store, sell it to a customer, recycle it and make a new can from it. This is a process which can be repeated ad infinitum.
An aluminium can is more expensive to produce than a glass bottle but its use in production is 3.5% cheaper than using a glass bottle. For example, aluminium cans deliver significant savings when beverages have to be transported over long distances because they're lighter than bottles and they don't break. Modern 0.33 litre beverage cans weigh about 25 grams and their walls are no more than 0.08 mm thick.
An aluminium container can be recycled an indefinite number of times without any deterioration in the quality of the cans produced from recycled aluminium. Recycling significantly reduces total energy consumption which reduces the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. Making cans from recycled aluminium requires 95% less energy than making them from primary aluminium.