The Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance publishes the second year of its worldwide recycling study, with aluminium cans outperforming glass and PET bottles across major markets.
New York, 22 September 2026 – Aluminum beverage cans are collected and recycled at a higher rate than any other major drinks container format worldwide, according to new figures released today by the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA).
The 2026 Global Beverage Container Recycling Dataset shows that, globally, 77 percent of aluminum cans are collected for recycling and 76 percent are recycled. Both figures lead the field, ahead of PET bottles at 69 percent collected and 54 percent recycled, and glass bottles at 56 percent collected and 51 percent recycled. The results draw on data from markets that together account for at least 84 percent of global sales in each format.
The GBCCA commissioned Eunomia Research and Consulting to calculate collection and recycling rates for aluminum cans, PET bottles, and glass bottles across these markets. The 2026 report is the second in a three-year series spanning 2025, 2026, and 2027, building a consistent, comparable picture of how the world recycles its beverage packaging.
This year’s research adds regional deep dives into five fast-growing markets: Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and India. These give the industry a clearer view of both the progress being made and the gaps that remain in regions where recycling systems are still developing.
While aluminum leads the three formats, the findings also show there is more to do. Closing the gap to the industry’s target of an 80 percent recycling rate for used beverage cans by 2030, and close to 100 percent by 2050, will take sustained investment in collection and sorting worldwide. By tracking performance year on year, the dataset helps the industry measure progress, identify where reliable data is available, and benchmark aluminum’s recyclability against other materials.
A summary of the recycling data is available in the accompanying Excel dataset. The full methodology report and the 2025 results can be found on the International Aluminium Institute website: https://international-aluminium.org/resources/global-beverage-container-recycling-dataset/
Companies and associations that are members of the IAI or the GBCCA can request further detail by contacting Marlen Bertram at bertram@international-aluminium.org.
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About the International Aluminium Institute (IAI)
The International Aluminium Institute is the global voice of the aluminium industry. Its members account for the majority of the world’s primary aluminium production, and its work spans sustainability, recycling, and the promotion of aluminium as a material for a circular, low-carbon economy.
About the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA)
The Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance brings together industry partners across the beverage can value chain to advance the recycling and circularity of aluminium beverage cans worldwide, working toward an 80 percent recycling rate by 2030 and close to 100 percent by 2050.
