Novelis Launches World's First Recycled Content Certification Program

Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, announced the commercial availability of the industry's first independently certified, high-recycled content aluminum designed specifically for the beverage can market.

With a minimum of 90 percent recycled aluminum, the Novelis evercan aluminum beverage can body sheet will allow beverage companies to deliver soft drinks, beer and other popular beverages in a low-carbon footprint consumer package.

"We are excited to be able to deliver yet another tangible result of our commitment to sustainable aluminum product innovation," said Phil Martens, Novelis President and Chief Executive Officer.  "Our Novelis evercan high-recycled content beverage can body sheet, backed by the industry's first independent certification program, represents tremendous progress in sustainable consumer products packaging.  As the world's leading supplier of aluminum beverage can sheet, this is an important step toward delivering on our ultimate vision of an aluminum can with up to 100 percent recycled content."

Novelis evercan aluminum sheet has been certified for high-recycled content by SCS Global Services, a trusted leader in third-party environmental, sustainability and food quality certification, auditing, testing and standards development.  Novelis is initially offering aluminum can body sheet guaranteed to contain at least 90 percent recycled content.  When combined with the can end made of a different alloy during the can making process, the new Novelis evercan will enable beverage companies to market their beverages in standard 12-ounce aluminum cans certified as made from a minimum of 70 percent recycled content.  The Novelis evercan aluminum beverage can body sheet is commercially available now in North America and Europe, and will be available worldwide later this year.

The company's efforts to increase the recycling of beverage cans is a key component of its plan to dramatically increase the recycled content of its products across its global operations to 80 percent by 2020. Already the world's largest recycler of aluminum, Novelis has announced capital investments of close to $500 million over the last two years that will double global recycling capacity to 2.1 million metric tons by 2015.  Recycling aluminum requires 95 percent less energy, and produces 95 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), than manufacturing primary aluminum.

"This first phase of the Novelis evercan high-recycled content initiative serves as a critical catalyst for Novelis to work more closely with consumer brand customers, our supply chain partners and other community stakeholders to increase end-of-life recycling of used beverage containers," said John Gardner, Novelis Chief Sustainability Officer.  "We encourage wide participation from other aluminum suppliers, beverage and packaging companies, retailers and distributors, recyclers, municipalities, environmental groups and consumers themselves in promoting the use of more sustainable consumer packaging through aluminum recycling."