Partnering with CMI to improve recycling

In 2020, AMP – North America and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) noticed the declining beverage can recycling rates in North America. This decline can greatly weaken the potential to reduce emissions. AMP – NA and CMI joined forces to address the need to recover used beverage cans, creating the Can Capture Grant Programme – a grant scheme that funds material recovery facilities (MRFs).

The programme launched at the start of 2021, accepting proposals from MRFs for grants to fund process improvement activities to capture used beverage cans (UBCs) at the MRFs.

In November 2021, four recycling facilities in North Carolina, Texas, Florida and Wisconsin were awarded grants with more expected in the near future. The grants will be used to install equipment to capture 36 million aluminium UBCs annually that were previously mis-sorted. The estimated annual income that the U.S. recycling system will receive from the scheme is approximately $600, 000.

The recovered metal has such high value that it will help fund the MRF operation. Collectively, the first three grants have catalysed the installation of additional can capture equipment that will result in nearly 40 million aluminium cans recycled annually.

To learn more about our work with Industry bodies including CMI and others, read our 2021 Sustainability Report here.