Seven out of 10 of the 9 billion aluminum drink cans sold in the UK in 2016 were recycled, or around 6.3 billion cans in all, according to the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation, Alupro.
The 70% recycling rate was up from 69% in 2015 and 60% in 2014.
"Beverage cans make up by far the largest sector of the 180,000 mt of aluminium packaging placed on the market during the year," Alupro said Tuesday.
"With the UK being the largest beverage can market in Europe, and aluminium the dominant metal used for can manufacturing, the 70% milestone for aluminium cans makes a major contribution to the European metal packaging sector's ambition to reach and exceed an average 80% metal packaging recycling rate by 2025," it added.
Alupro has expressed concern that future recycling performance will be compromised by a lack of ambition from the UK government in setting new targets for aluminum, and lobbied for targets to 2020 to be "front-loaded," criticizing the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs for not increasing its 2017 recycling target.
"We remain convinced that future growth in aluminium recycling performance is achievable within the current system, subject to a few revisions which will ensure all recycling is accurately reported and that behavior change programs are properly funded on a fair and equitable basis," Alupro's executive director, Rick Hindley, said in a statement.
