Aluminum Beverage Can (12 oz / 355 ml)

Product Profile

The 12 oz (355 ml) aluminum beverage can is the world’s most recycled beverage container. A standard can weighs approximately 15 g, made from 3104-H19 aluminum alloy (body) and 5182-H48 alloy (lid). Global production exceeds 400 billion cans annually.

At 0.48 kgCO2e per can (assuming 100% virgin aluminum), this represents the worst-case conservative default. The actual score depends heavily on recycled content, which varies by region from 30% (some Asian markets) to 73% (US average) to 76% (Brazil).

Why Aluminum Is Process-Dominated (Not Grid-Dominated)

Unlike most manufactured products where Scope 3 dominates, aluminum is unusual because Scope 1 process emissions from smelting are the largest single contributor (42% of total). The Hall-Heroult electrolysis process produces CO2 directly from the carbon anodes consumed during reduction of alumina to aluminum metal. These are chemical process emissions that persist regardless of the electricity source.

This means that even a smelter running on 100% hydroelectric power (like those in Norway or Quebec) still generates significant CO2 from the anode reaction — roughly 1.5 tonnes CO2 per tonne of aluminum from the process alone.

The Recycling Variable

Recycled aluminum requires only ~5% of the energy of primary smelting and eliminates the process emissions entirely. This makes the recycled content percentage the single most impactful variable:

Recycled Content	Estimated Score per Can
0% (virgin only)	0.48 kgCO2e
50%	0.27 kgCO2e
73% (US average)	0.16 kgCO2e
100% recycled	0.05 kgCO2e

The CCI default assumes 0% recycled content per the conservative-first methodology. This is deliberately pessimistic — most cans contain significant recycled content.

Comparison to Other Beverage Containers

Per serving, the aluminum can competes with PET bottles and glass bottles. At worst-case (virgin aluminum), the can has higher embodied carbon than PET but lower than glass. At real-world recycled content rates, the can is often the lowest-carbon option.

Provenance Override

Can manufacturers and beverage companies may override the default score by submitting:

• Verified recycled content percentage (ASI Chain of Custody or equivalent)
• Smelter-specific emission data (for primary aluminum sourcing)
• ISO 14067-compliant PCF for the can manufacturing process
• EPDs registered with programs like IBU or EPD International