Feature Brazil focus
A poster child for beverage can recycling
Brazil set the benchmark for the rest of the world with its near 100% recycling rate for used beverage cans (UBC) in 2023. In an INTERVIEW withAL CIRCLE, CATILO CANDIDO, executive president of the BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF ALUMINUM CAN MANUFACTURERS (Abralatas), explains the strategies behind this success.
What’s more, he says: “Brazil is the third-largest market in the world, with over 33 billion units sold annually, ranking behind only the US and China.”
Q:
Please shed some light on why aluminium cans are
so widely consumed in Brazil. In an interview, you said a complex interplay of scale, temperature, and economy drives beverage can sales in Brazil. Can you elaborate on this?
A:
Brazil is one of the biggest consumer markets in the
world and is in a tropical zone with generally higher average temperatures. This, combined with Brazil’s strong and growing economy – especially the increasing purchasing power of its population – drives demand for cold drinks and, in turn, aluminium cans.
On top of that, Brazil’s aluminium can industry is well-established, with 24 factories across the country, and it’s known for being innovative. The industry frequently introduces new formats, advanced printing technologies, and is expanding into a wider range of beverages. The
recently reported 12% growth in sales during the first half of last year reflects this dynamic market.
Do you think there is a need for production expansion of aluminium cans in Brazil to meet the current domestic demand? If so, what is your plan for expansion?
Brazil’s current network of aluminium can factories, spread across all regions of the country, is perfectly equipped to meet demand. Historically, it has always kept up with market growth, and this won’t be any different in the near future, if expansion becomes necessary.
How are beverage aluminium can producers in Brazil adapting to a circular economy?
What percentage of recycled aluminium is used in can production throughout the country?
38
metalpackager.com
The aluminium can sector for beverages in Brazil is a great example of a circular economy. For the past 15 years, we’ve maintained a recycling rate of over 95%, a level of reverse logistics maturity that few countries can match. Since producing the first can in the late 1980s, the industry has invested in solutions to ensure access to all post-consumption discarded cans and the capacity to process the entire volume, which now exceeds 400,000 tonnes annually. This model works thanks to a partnership between manufacturers and recyclers, with the involvement of waste pickers, ensuring everything runs well.
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