The Drink Business reported that cans are in short supply across the US resulting in an increased demand for aluminium, creating huge issues for independent brewers. Following the popularity of canned cocktails has squeezed demand for aluminium in a manufacturing industry still recovering from lockdown-induced shortages as well as supplier upheavals. However, added to this, the national recycling systems across the US are struggling to collect enough cans to sate demand and while the he e tire system is buckling under the strain of out-of-date policies that have made it harder for people to recycle, there is is a huge knock on effect on the plight of brewers. The shortage highlights how, despite the popularity of beer in cans and cocktails in cans, there is such an unmitigated issue with the supply chain and recycling setup stateside that the situation could potentially hamstring otherwise successful businesses. Especially since some of the biggest fan manufacturers are setting minimum orders, effectively pricing craft breweries out of the market. Currently, approximately 73% of an aluminium can comes from recycled scrap, but as demand for canned cocktails boomed the state of California in particular, there became a pressing need to acknowledge that the recycling centres in situ cannot keep pace and something needs to be done. According to data from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, known as CalRecycle, over the past five years, California’s aluminium can recycling rate dropped 20%, from 91% in 2016 to 73% in 2021. In California, the situation has declined considerably. For instance, in 2016, according to the state’s data, just over 766 million aluminum cans ended up As a result of the demand, one of the US’s biggest can makers Ball Corp revealed last autumn that it would no longer handle small or even mid-size orders, sending shock waves through the craft brewing industry.
The Drink Business reported that cans are in short supply across the US resulting in an increased demand for aluminium, creating huge issues for independent brewers. Following the popularity of canned cocktails has squeezed demand for aluminium in a manufacturing industry still recovering from lockdown-induced shortages as well as supplier upheavals. However, added to this, the national recycling systems across the US are struggling to collect enough cans to sate demand and while the he e tire system is buckling under the strain of out-of-date policies that have made it harder for people to recycle, there is is a huge knock on effect on the plight of brewers. The shortage highlights how, despite the popularity of beer in cans and cocktails in cans, there is such an unmitigated issue with the supply chain and recycling setup stateside that the situation could potentially hamstring otherwise successful businesses. Especially since some of the biggest fan manufacturers are setting minimum orders, effectively pricing craft breweries out of the market. Currently, approximately 73% of an aluminium can comes from recycled scrap, but as demand for canned cocktails boomed the state of California in particular, there became a pressing need to acknowledge that the recycling centres in situ cannot keep pace and something needs to be done. According to data from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, known as CalRecycle, over the past five years, California’s aluminium can recycling rate dropped 20%, from 91% in 2016 to 73% in 2021. In California, the situation has declined considerably. For instance, in 2016, according to the state’s data, just over 766 million aluminum cans ended up As a result of the demand, one of the US’s biggest can makers Ball Corp revealed last autumn that it would no longer handle small or even mid-size orders, sending shock waves through the craft brewing industry.
