Employees of the Tocancipá, Cundinamarca, beverage can facility in Colombia. Crown Holdings announced in September 2023 that, in connection with the facility, it had become the first company in Colombia to receive the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard certification for responsible sourcing practices. Courtesy of Crown Holdings
Pan American Preference
Recent developments illustrate Latin Americans’ predilection for aluminum beverage packaging – plus their dedication to recycling and sustainability.
Last year I wrote about Brazilians’ strong commitment to the recycling of aluminum cans. And, by extension – what with Brazil being the home of Carnaval and New Orleans being the home of Mardi Gras – I wrote about aluminum recycling initiatives in The Big Easy.
Recent headlines — and my discussions with industry leaders — indicate that the commitment to recycling both in New Orleans and throughout Latin America has not abated.
Turning first to New Orleans: Having written last year about the Can Manufacturers Institute’s efforts to promote aluminum beverage can recycling during Mardi Gras 2023, I was pleased to report this year on yet another can recycling organization setting its sights on New Orleans. Europe-based Every Can Counts expanded to the U.S. and partnered with can manufacturers and aluminum suppliers to promote recycling during Mardi Gras 2024.
Turning to Latin America: While Brazil for some time now has received kudos for its astounding 99% recycling rate for aluminum cans, other countries in the region are getting recognized for reaching equally laudable goals.
Crown Holdings announced in September 2023 that it had become the first company in Colombia to receive the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard certification for responsible sourcing practices. The achievement was in connection with the Tocancipá, Cundinamarca, beverage can facility (Colombiana S.A.).
“By meeting stringent criteria as part of an independent, third-party audit, the Colombia plant has validated its efforts and progress not only around responsible procurement, but other important practices including employee training around biodiversity, safety and human rights,” Crown noted.
Prior to achieving certification in Colombia, Crown was verified by ASI in 12 other locations across its global footprint, including Brazil, Mexico and Thailand.
Finally, with respect to Latin Americans’ embracement of canned beverage packaging, I would be remiss not to mention Argentinian brewery Quilmes having recently replaced a glass line at its Buenos Aires facility with can filling equipment from KHS. You can read here why Quilmes chose the equipment, which has a filling capacity of 90,000 cans per hour.
In summary, there are sure to be many more aluminum recycling and sustainability initiatives announced in Latin America between now and Mardi Gras 2025, and Packaging Strategies will be sharing this news with our audience.
Brad Addington
Chief Editor, Packaging Strategies
(248) 227-4727
addingtonb@bnpmedia.com
