European UBC Recycling Rate Increases to 63 Percent in 2008

The overall recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans in the 27 countries in the European Union, including European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and Turkey improved in 2008 and stands now at 63.1 percent, according to the European Aluminum Association (EAA).

The recycling rate is an improvement from 2007, when the overall recycling rate stood at 61.8 percent, and in 2006, when the UBC recycling rate stood at 57.5 percent.

The total number of aluminum beverage cans consumed in Europe increased from 32 billion in 2007 to nearly 34 billion units in 2008, resulting in an overall aluminum share of more than 70 percent of the total European beverage can market.

Sales of filled aluminum beverage cans for the European markets, including exports to non-European countries, increased by more than 5 percent to 39 billion units with strong growth in Western Europe of nearly 10 percent while Central and Eastern Europe increased by 3 percent. In announcing the recycling rate, the EAA noted that there is a continued clear upward trend across Europe. While most countries with well established deposit or take-back systems maintained their high recycling levels, other countries have improved as well.