Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) published a detailed aluminum beverage can recycling primer and roadmap that explains how the ambitious U.S. aluminum beverage can recycling rate targets that CMI members announced in November 2021 will be achieved. Those targets are reaching a 70 percent recycling rate by 2030, 80 percent by 2040 and 90 percent by 2050. The aluminum beverage can is the most recycled beverage container in the United States with a 45 percent recycling rate in 2020. Consider that in 2020, for the aluminum beverage can recycling rate to have reached 70 percent, 25.6 billion more cans needed to be recycled. If the target had been met and those additional cans recycled, it would have generated more than $400 million in revenue for the U.S. recycling system and resulted in energy savings that could power more than 1 million U.S. homes for an entire year. The report explains in detail how CMI will achieve its targets via four pillars of action, which are: 1. Catalyze the passage and implementation of well-designed deposit systems at the state and federal levels. 2. Increase and improve household and away-from-home recycling. 3. Ensure that more cans are properly sorted at recycling centers. 4. Increase consumer understanding on the importance of aluminum can recycling and the ability to collect and sell used beverage cans for cash.

A world without waste holds untold benefits for our environment and contributes to sustained protection of the world’s precious natural resources. But this concept, as embodied by the principles of a circular economy, can also unleash tremendous opportunity for growth and innovation that experts say will deliver $4.5 trillion in new economic potential by 2030. That’s because, as noted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “a circular economy is restorative and regenerative by design, and aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times.” To get there, companies are pushing to achieve greater productivity and eliminate inefficiencies, and in doing so, realizing the economic reward that comes from these practices.

The past six years have shown Cascades that a sustainable development plan can be profitable on a number of fronts. "It is a strategic tool that mobilizes our teams toward achieving clearly defined objectives. Thanks to our efforts, we finished 2015 with strong results: we used 2.7 times less energy and 6.5 times less water than the Canadian industry average 1 , and we achieved the lowest accident rate in our history," said Mario Plourde , President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascades. Suzanne Blanchet , Senior Vice-President, Corporate Development, is in charge of rolling out the sustainable development strategy within the company. In her view, "This third plan is the natural continuation of the work begun in 2010. At the time, we conducted a broad consultation with all of our stakeholders so as to identify priority issues. This dialogue proved to be very revealing in terms of what the different parties expect of us and today allows us to continue to create added value for our shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and for the communities in which we are present."